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Thursday, February 12, 2026

China News

10 Feb 2026

China's Appetite for Coal Wanes

Copyright Parilov/AdobeStock

Coal-fired power generation decreased 1.9% in 2025; non-fossil generation outpaces demand growthChina's coal-fired power generation decreased 1.9% in 2025, marking a historic shift driven by new non-fossil generation that has finally outpaced demand growth, according to a recent report from Wood Mackenzie.Power demand grew 5% in China in 2025, or 494 TWh, yet for the first time in a decade, coal-fired power generation did not increase to help meet this demand. Instead, the incremental demand was met by carbon-free generation…

10 Feb 2026

Despite Sea Disputes, Philippines, China Tensions Calm

Copyright Tom Korcak/AdobeStock

The Philippines' ambassador to the United States on Tuesday underscored the need to "cool" the temperature with China, after both sides signaled their willingness to set aside tensions in the South China Sea and explore areas of economic cooperation.Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said Manila's relationship with Beijing should not be defined solely by maritime disputes, even as the Philippines continues to call out actions it deems unlawful."We have a continuing bilateral conversation with them," Romualdez told reporters.

09 Feb 2026

Russian Oil Tankers List Singapore as Destination, Export Flows Shift to China

Credit: Adobe Stock/Trevor Benbrook

Russian oil tankers are increasingly listing Singapore as their official destination, signalling a shift in export flows from India to China and growing concerns over Western sanctions, traders said and LSEG shipping data shows.LSEG data shows tankers carrying about 1.4 million metric tons of Russian crude departed for Singapore in January, the highest monthly volume in recent years.Singapore doesn't import Russian oil amid sanction risks, but its nearby waters are sometimes used for ship-to-ship transfers…

06 Feb 2026

Lloyd’s Register Strengthens Leadership in China with New Appointments

© Lloyd’s Register

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has further enhanced its capabilities in China with the announcement of three new senior appointments. Tianxiang Li (TX), LR’s Director of Global Technical Support Office (TSO), has been appointed as President for Greater China. He will lead senior client relationships and strategic engagement, strengthening alignment between LR’s global technical leadership and the priorities of Chinese owners, yards and designers. TX joined LR in 2008 and held leadership positions in the Technical Support Office since 2011.

05 Feb 2026

Panama President: Future Port Contracts Will Not Be Issued to a Single Operator

© Adobe Stock/Nicola78/Wirestock Creators

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said on Thursday that the concession of contracts to operate two ports held and operated for nearly three decades by Hong Kong's CK Hutchison Holdings will "never again" be issued to a single company.Panama's Supreme Court last week nullified CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports along its strategic canal through its Panama Ports Company subsidiary, ruling that the contracts violated the Central American nation's constitution by giving the company exclusive privileges and tax exemptions."I don't expect this situation to escalate…

21 Jan 2026

China’s Crude Oil Imports Spike 5%

Chart courtesy BIMCO

"In 2025, China’s total import of crude oil rose nearly 5% -- 4.9% to 11.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) from 11.1 mbpd in 2024 according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GACC) in China. Seaborne imports increased an estimated 4.0% year-on-year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), China’s stockpiles rose slightly less than 1 mbpd, indicating that the underlying import demand fell nearly 0.5 mbpd,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief…

20 Jan 2026

China Drives Away Philippine Aircraft Over Disputed Shoal

Credit: Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

The Chinese military said on Tuesday it had organised naval and air forces to warn and drive away a Philippine government aircraft which "illegally intruded" into the airspace over Scarborough Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea."We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop infringing upon China's rights and cease provocations and irresponsible hype," a spokesperson for the military's Southern Theatre Command said in a statement.The Philippine Embassy in Beijing, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Maritime Council did not immediately respond to requests for co

18 Jan 2026

China's Military Monitors US Vessels Transiting the Taiwan Strait

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stack)

China's military said it had followed and monitored the transit of guided-missile destroyer USS Finn and oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears through the Taiwan Strait on January 16 and 17, it said on an official WeChat account Saturday.A spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said in the statement that it remains "on high alert at all times" to "resolutely defend national sovereignty and security".The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.(Reuters - Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Toby Chopra)

15 Jan 2026

China's Coal Imports Slump

Chart courtesy BIMCO

"In 2025, seaborne coal shipments to China fell 10% as domestics supply increased and demand from steel manufacturing and electricity generation weakened. The decline affected shipments out of Indonesia, the US, Australia and Colombia in particular,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.China is the world’s largest importer of coal and the destination of 28% of seaborne coal shipments, which account for 4% of dry bulk tonne mile demand. Thermal coal, which is used for electricity generation…

12 Jan 2026

Supertankers Picking Up Venezuelan Oil for China Turn Around

© Adobe Stock/moofushi

Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to pick up debt-paying crude cargoes amid the U.S. oil embargo on the OPEC country have made u-turn and are now heading back to Asia, LSEG shipping data showed on Monday.Following the U.S. announcement last week of a $2 billion deal to export up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil stuck in storage, U.S. president Donald Trump said China would not be deprived of Venezuela's crude.But the Asian country, the first market of the South American nation's oil…

02 Jan 2026

As Chinese Vessels Pull Back, Taiwan Remains on High Alert

Copyright Peter Hermes Furian/AdobeStock

Taiwan remained on high alert on Wednesday after China staged massive military drills around the island the previous day, keeping its emergency maritime response centre running as it monitored Chinese naval manoeuvres, the coast guard said.The exercises named "Justice Mission 2025" saw China fire dozens of rockets towards Taiwan and deploy a large number of warships and aircraft near the island, in a show of force that drew concern from allies in the region and the west.Beijing announced late on Wednesday the completion of the drills…

31 Dec 2025

Taiwan on Alert As China Withdraws Ships from Military Drill

© Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

Taiwan remained on high alert on Wednesday after China staged massive military drills around the island the previous day, keeping its emergency maritime response centre running as it monitored Chinese naval manoeuvres, the coast guard said.The exercises named "Justice Mission 2025" saw China fire dozens of rockets towards Taiwan and deploy a large number of warships and aircraft near the island, in a show of force that drew concern from allies in the region and the west.Beijing announced late on Wednesday the completion of the drills…

30 Dec 2025

China Launches Rockets into Taiwan Waters During Military Display

© Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

China fired rockets into waters off Taiwan on Tuesday, showcased new assault ships and dismissed prospects of U.S. and allied intervention to block any future attack by Beijing to take control of the island in its most extensive war games to date.As part of drills rehearsing a blockade, China's Eastern Theatre Command conducted 10 hours of live-fire exercises, launching rockets into waters to the north and south of the democratically governed island.Chinese naval and air force units also simulated strikes on maritime and aerial targets and carried out anti-submarine drills around the island…

30 Dec 2025

China Flexes Military Might Encircling Taiwan

Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Kolar, Joint Detachment Sheridan, laid out the Indo-Pacific threat environment to Navy Reserve Center commanding officers and senior enlisted leaders, warning that China’s ambitions for Taiwan could demand the mobilization of 50,000 reservists in just 30 days. Image courtesy U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Jeffrey S. Gray/Released

China fired rockets into waters off Taiwan on Tuesday, showcased new assault ships and dismissed prospects of U.S. and allied intervention to block any future attack by Beijing to take control of the island in its most extensive war games to date.As part of drills rehearsing a blockade, China's Eastern Theatre Command conducted 10 hours of live-fire exercises, launching rockets into waters to the north and south of the democratically governed island.Chinese naval and air force units also simulated strikes on maritime and aerial targets and carried out anti-submarine drills around the island…

12 Dec 2025

China Expels Philippine Aircraft, Vessels in South China Sea

© Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and "expelled" a Philippine aircraft that "invaded" airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

04 Dec 2025

China Massing Military Ships in East Asia

© zapper / Adobe Stock

China is deploying a large number of naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters, at one point more than 100, in the largest maritime show of force to date, according to four sources and intelligence reports reviewed by Reuters.China is in the middle of what is traditionally a busy season for military exercises, though the People's Liberation Army has not made any announcements of large-scale officially named drills.Still, the rise in activity is happening as China…

27 Nov 2025

bound4blue Targets Asian Growth

Source: bound4blue

Wind propulsion company bound4blue has expanded its industrial footprint in Asia with the establishment of new production capabilities in China, alongside the signing of strategic regional partnerships to accelerate adoption of its proven eSAIL® suction sail technology.This allows bound4blue to manufacture near the yards where their systems will be integrated, both for newbuildings and for vessels calling in Asia for retrofit.Production in China will be handled through a network of outsourced industrial partners with strong naval and offshore manufacturing capabilities.

24 Nov 2025

Chinese Oil Majors Invest in Onboard Oil Testing

CMT joint-Managing Director Uwe Krüger. © CMT

China’s leading marine lubricant suppliers are embracing onboard oil testing technology. The adoption of portable lube-oil analyzers represents a shift in how the country’s oil majors including Sinopec, PetroChina, and CNOOC, look to service and support ships calling at Chinese ports.According to Germany’s CM Technologies GmbH (CMT), whose onboard test kits are already standard tool kits for European fleets, China’s lubricant producers are now integrating condition-based monitoring tools into their supply programs.“We are seeing a real transformation in China’s fuels and lubricants market…

21 Nov 2025

Chinese Cruise Ships Avoid Japan Amidst Diplomatic Dispute

© Adobe Stock/Sanga

Chinese cruise operators are scrambling to avoid Japanese ports as Beijing and Tokyo engage in a diplomatic dispute, which is expected to spur demand for tourism in South Korea, according to sources and cruise schedules reviewed by Reuters.Tour and port agents said tensions, sparked by recent remarks from Japan's new prime minister, could cause Chinese tourists to be redirected to South Korea from Japan. Earlier this month, Sanae Takaichi told Japanese lawmakers that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.Adora Magic City…

19 Nov 2025

As China, Japan Tensions Rise, Japanese Fish are Caught in the Middle

Copyright GT

China has indicated it will ban all imports of Japanese seafood, two government officials in Tokyo said on Wednesday, in what appears to be the latest salvo in an escalating diplomatic dispute between Asia's top two economies.Tensions between the two countries ignited after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.China has demanded she retract the remarks and urged its citizens not to travel to Japan…

16 Nov 2025

China Coast Guard Sails in Formation Through Senkaku Islands

© vadimmmus / Adobe Stock

A China Coast Guard ship formation passed through the waters of the Senkaku Islands on Sunday on a "rights enforcement patrol", the China Coast Guard said in a statement, as Beijing ramps up tensions with Japan over its prime minister's remarks on Taiwan.A diplomatic spat between China and Japan has intensified since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically-ruled Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.The remarks sparked an angry response from Beijing…

10 Nov 2025

China Pauses Port Fees on US-Linked Ships for One Year

© Adobe Stock/Kalyakan

China suspended for one year port fees levied on U.S.-linked vessels, its transport ministry said on Monday, after Washington announced a similar pause on punitive actions against China's shipping and shipbuilding sectors.The reciprocated pauses were in line with agreements reached by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit in South Korea last month.The suspension kicked in from 13:01 local time (0501 GMT), according to the transport ministry's statement.Beijing welcomed a November 9 announcement made by the U.S.

06 Nov 2025

Trump Administration Seeks to Negotiate with China on Shipping

© eyewave / Adobe Stock

The Trump administration said on Thursday it would pursue negotiations with China over its dominance of shipbuilding and ocean logistics as it formalized plans for a one-year pause on U.S. port fees on China-linked vessels as part of a broader deal to reduce trade tensions.The U.S. Trade Representative's office said in a Federal Register notice that it would pause for a year starting November 10 all punitive actions against China resulting from its "Section 301" unfair trade practices investigation.

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