Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “a weak Russia and a defeated Russia are not beneficial,” so he believes that China is not seeking an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“Of course, China is a strong country with a strong economy, and most importantly in our case, it has influence over Russia, personally over Putin. But with all due respect to the Chinese people, their history, and their culture, we must honestly say that I don’t see how ending this war would benefit China. Why? Because, I think we have read… the new US (security) doctrine… These are two great powers, great economies, and this is a great confrontation. This does not mean that it is a war, it may be any diplomatic or economic confrontation – this is happening. And today, a weak Russia and a defeated Russia in this format is not beneficial to China.
And because of this, honestly, the Ukrainian people are suffering,“ Zelensky said, responding to a question from journalists on WhatsApp on Monday.
Zelensky added that if ”it is not beneficial for China to stop Russia, it means that the war will continue.”
“This does not mean that China directly supports Russia with weapons, but it certainly does not support stopping this war. That is final. Plus, there are various reports from our intelligence services about the supply of machine tools and other items from China to Russia, but I have not been informed of any direct supplies of weapons,” Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with a number of other agencies, published an action plan to stimulate consumption and balance supply and demand for consumer goods, outlining key measures, Xinhua reports.
The plan calls for optimizing the structure of consumer goods supply by 2027. Specifically, three consumer sectors worth 1 trillion yuan ($141.2 billion) and ten consumer areas worth 100 billion yuan will be identified.
According to the plan, the consumer sector’s contribution to China’s economic growth will steadily increase until 2030.
In total, the plan includes 19 key tasks, including the comprehensive implementation of AI solutions, increased budgetary and financial support, and the expansion of new product offerings, such as green products.
In addition, it provides for a clearer focus on meeting the needs of different population groups. This applies to expanding the range of products for infants and children, as well as products that are convenient for the elderly, Xinhua notes.
The head of the Taiwanese administration Lai Tsingde on Wednesday announced plans to allocate a special budget of $40 billion for the purchase of weapons, according to the Associated Press. It is noted that this amount, in particular, includes funds for the creation of an air defense “dome”.
“Threats from China to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region are increasing (…). Taiwan should demonstrate its determination and take greater responsibility in self-defense,” said Lai Qingde.
It is noted that the Taiwanese administration has requested this tranche separately from the annual defense budget, and this request must now be approved by Taiwan’s legislature.
The Taiwan issue arose in 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed and part of China’s Kuomintang Party settled on the island of Taiwan, naming the island the Republic of China on Taiwan. Beijing insists on the “one China principle”, according to which it is impossible to recognize both the PRC and the Republic of China on Taiwan at the same time. At the same time, almost all major states have unofficial cultural and economic offices of Taipei.
Help from Experts Club: the ratio of PRC and Taiwan military capabilities (estimates for 2025)
Based on public estimates (GlobalFirepower, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, budget data): Number of active military personnel
China: about 2.0-2.1 million (active NVAC personnel).
Taiwan: nearly 230,000 personnel.
Ratio: about 8-9 to 1 in favor of China.
Reserve and mobilization resource
China: about 510 thousand reservists + large para-military formations.
Taiwan: about 2.3 million reservists with a much smaller population, reliance on a massive reserve.
Air Force (general aviation)
China: about 3,300 aircraft, including about 1,200 fighters.
Taiwan: about 760 airplanes, approximately 280-300 fighters.
Ratio of fighters: about 4-5 to 1 in favor of China.
Navy (warships)
China: about 750 ships and boats, including 3 aircraft carriers, dozens of destroyers and frigates, more than 60 submarines.
Taiwan: about 100 ships and boats, no aircraft carriers, with a limited number of destroyers, frigates and submarines.
Ratio in number of fleet units: about 7-8 to 1 in favor of China, with an even larger gap in total tonnage.
Defense budgets (2025)
China: about $245-270 billion per year according to official figures.
Taiwan: about $20-21 billion (about 2.45% of GDP).
Ratio: China spends more than 10 times more on defense than Taiwan.
These figures are estimates and based on public sources, but generally reflect China’s significant quantitative superiority while Taiwan’s focus on technological saturation, defense doctrines, and alliance with the U.S. and other partners.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/kytaj-zadiyuye-czyvilni-sudna-v-navchannyah-po-tajvanyu-zmi/
According to Serbian Economist, Chinese company Haitian International is launching pilot production at its new plant in Ruma (Vojvodina, Serbia), creating one of the largest production complexes in the region.
The project involves the construction of a factory with an area of up to 250,000 m² in the Rumska petlja industrial zone.
The initial phase includes approximately 59,000 m² for a production building, office building, and canteen. During the pilot phase, it is planned to produce up to 2,500 Mars and Jupiter series injection molding machines per year.
The total investment is estimated at around €100 million. In the first phase, the plant will employ about 300 people with salaries ranging from €650 to €1,000.
The city administration of Ruma and the Serbian government noted that the project will make a significant contribution to regional industrial dynamics and create new jobs. The plant will enable the Chinese investor to reduce logistics costs and serve the markets of Europe, the Middle East, and India more quickly.
The Serbian authorities consider the Haitian project to be strategic for the industrialization of Vojvodina and strengthening the inflow of foreign investment. The launch of pilot production in Ruma will strengthen Serbia’s industrial cluster and create the conditions for further technological investments.
Haitian International is a major Chinese manufacturer of injection molding machines, presses, and automated equipment. The plant in Ruma will be the company’s first significant production base in the Balkans.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1810
Global steel production in October 2025 decreased by 5.9% compared to October 2024, to 143.340 million tons, with declines recorded in most of the top ten producing countries, according to data from the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
The top ten countries in terms of steel production in October 2025 are as follows:
China – 72 million tons (down 12.1% compared to October 2024);
India – 13.563 million tons (up 5.9%);
USA – 6.989 million tons (up 9.4%);
Japan – 6.853 million tons (down 1%);
Russia – 5.250 million tons (down 6.2%);
South Korea – 5.093 million tons (down 5.8%);
Iran – 3.316 million tons (up 12%);
Turkey – 3.208 million tons (up 3.1%);
Germany – 3.127 million tons (down 3%);
Brazil – 2.988 million tons (down 2.7%).
In January-October 2025, global steel production decreased by 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1 billion 517.589 million tons. The top ten producing countries for the first ten months of this year are:
China – 817.870 million tons (down 3.9% compared to January-October 2024);
India – 135.987 million tons (up 10%);
USA – 68.376 million tons (up 2.8%);
Japan – 67.327 million tons (down 4.1%);
Russia – 56.536 million tons (down 4.9%);
South Korea – 51.144 million tons (down 3.6%);
Turkey – 31.277 million tons (up 1.2%);
Germany – 28.505 million tons (down 9.9%);
Brazil – 27.988 million tons (down 1.8%);
Iran – 25.442 million tons (down 1%).
At the end of 2024, 71 countries produced 1 billion 839.449 million tons of steel, which is 0.9% less than in 2023. The leaders were China – 1 billion 5.090 million tons (down 1.7%), India – 149.587 million tons (up 6.3%), Japan – 84.009 million tons (down 3.4%), the United States – 79.452 million tons (down 2.4%), Russia – 70.690 million tons (down 7%), South Korea – 63.531 million tons (down 4.7%), Germany – 37.234 million tons (up 5.2%), Turkey – 36.893 million tons (up 9.4%), Brazil – 33.741 million tons (up 5.3%), and Iran – 30.952 million tons (up 0.8%).
In 2023, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel (down 0.1% from 2022), and in 2022, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons (down 4.3% from 2021), with China continuing to dominate and production growing in India amid declining performance in most developed economies.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center released a video analysis of the world’s leading steel producers from 2001 to 2024 – https://youtube.com/shorts/VgUU9MEMosE?si=c5yD04gmNtJoFblB
The first dealership center of the new premium brand of electric and hybrid cars Avatr, which enters the Ukrainian market, was opened on Stolichnoye highway in Kiev by the official distributor of the new brand – Atlant Motors Ukraine LLC (part of the Atlant Motors group of companies), the press service of the company reported.
The official presentation of the brand took place on November 20. “Atlant Motors Ukraine” will provide a full cycle – from car sales to service, warranty of the manufacturer and sale of original spare parts.
“Atlant Motors Ukraine” informs about plans to expand the network of official dealer centers in different regions of Ukraine. In particular, by the end of this year there will be official dealers in Odessa, Kiev, Kharkov, and in 2026 AVATR brand showrooms will be opened in Lviv and Dnipro.
At the official opening three models of the brand were presented, in particular Avatr 07 – urban mid-size hybrid or electric SUV. The car is offered in two variants: all-electric (BEV) and series hybrid (REEV). The REEV version is equipped with a hybrid setup based on a 1.5-liter turbo engine and electric motors with a total output of up to 492 hp.
Atlant Motors Group of Companies has been operating in the Ukrainian market for more than 20 years and represents, in particular, the Renault brand in Kharkov and Kharkov region. The group also includes Atlant Motors Energy (Kharkiv) – one of the largest suppliers of electric cars from China to Ukraine, which, according to YouControl data, has net income of UAH 619.9 million in 2024 and UAH 1.28 billion in January-September 2025.
