Donald Trump said he held a “very good” phone call with China’s President Xi Jinping, as the US-President elect prepares to return to the White House next week.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attends a meeting with Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File Photo HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Vice President Han Zheng will attend U.

The fall came despite a slight rise in births last year, the first increase since 2016. State efforts to cajole women to have children have met resistance.

China's population shrank further in 2024, even though births ticked upward for the first time in seven years.

China has reported that its economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2024, achieving Beijing’s target of “around 5%” growth helped by strong exports and recent stimulus measures.

China’s economy expanded by 5% year on year in 2024, with an upswing in the final quarter of the year, as a flurry of stimulus measures kicked in and helped meet Beijing’s growth target.

China's economy grew 5.4% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday, significantly beating analysts' expectations and enabling the government to meet its annual growth target.