PHOTO: NYTIMES[BEIJING] China logged its first annual rise in industrial profit in four years in 2025, official data showed on Tuesday, as a government call to end price wars and other excessive competitive practices eased strain on businesses. For the whole of 2025, profit was up 0.6 per cent, versus a 0.1 per cent increase in the first 11 months. The auto industry ended last year with a 0.6 per cent rise in profit, reversing an 8 per cent fall in 2024, helped by strong exports. State-owned firms saw profit down 3.9 per cent last year, while privately run firms’ profit stayed flat and foreign firms recorded a 4.2 per cent gain, the data showed. Industrial profit figures cover firms with annual revenue of at least 20 million yuan (S$3.7 million) from their main operations.

Source: International New York Times January 27, 2026 15:05 UTC