China's General Administration of Customs released May 2026 trade data on June 9, showing total import and export value reached $648.13 billion, up 22.6% year-on-year. Exports totaled $376.78 billion, increasing 19.4%, while imports reached $271.35 billion, climbing 27.4%, resulting in a trade surplus of $105.43 billion. The strong export performance was attributed to low base effects from the previous year, global AI industry momentum, improved exports to the United States, and price increases according to market analysts.
China Reports 22.6% Trade Growth for May 2026
The General Administration of Customs published comprehensive foreign trade statistics on June 9. In US dollar terms, China's May 2026 export value of $376.78 billion represented a 19.4% year-on-year increase, while import value of $271.35 billion showed a 27.4% gain. The trade surplus reached $105.43 billion. Market institutions identified four primary drivers behind the high export growth: low comparison base from the same period last year, sustained global artificial intelligence industry expansion, improved export performance to the United States, and price growth across export categories.
US Adds Chinese Companies to Military Entity List
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed a question during the regular press conference on June 9 regarding the United States adding several Chinese enterprises, including Alibaba and BYD, to a so-called military-related entity list. Lin stated that China firmly opposes the US practice of generalizing national security concepts, creating discriminatory lists under various pretexts, and unreasonably suppressing Chinese companies. He urged the US to correct its erroneous practices and cease unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises, adding that China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
Trump Confirms US Military Strikes Against Iran
US President Trump stated on June 9 that American military forces were conducting strikes against Iran. According to央视新闻, Trump said: "I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding." The statement confirmed ongoing US military operations against Iranian targets.
Chinese Stock Indices Rise on June 9
As of the June 9 close, the Shanghai Composite Index finished at 4010.03 points, gaining 1.28%. The Shenzhen Component Index closed at 15268.71 points, up 3.02%, while the ChiNext Index reached 3961.75 points, climbing 3.93%. US stock markets showed mixed performance on June 9, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 86.1 points to 50872.11 (up 0.17%), the S&P 500 falling 19.08 points to 7386.65 (down 0.26%), and the Nasdaq Composite declining 250.84 points to 25678.82 (down 0.97%). International oil prices dropped significantly, with New York light crude futures for July delivery falling $3.10 to $88.20 per barrel (down 3.4%), and London Brent crude futures for August delivery decreasing $2.80 to $91.45 per barrel (down 2.97%).
Ministry of Industry Issues App Regulation Guidelines
The Information and Communication Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology convened a special meeting to guide and supervise relevant internet platforms and smart terminal companies in strengthening standardized management of App information window presentation methods, according to Xinhua News Agency. The directive strictly prohibits irregular presentation of information windows. As "618" e-commerce promotional activities increase, some Apps have adopted irregular methods in opening screens and pop-up information windows to induce user clicks, or mislead users into triggering jumps through highly sensitive "shake" functions. The meeting disclosed relevant problem clues discovered during routine inspections and required all relevant companies to immediately conduct self-inspection and rectification, comprehensively reviewing all types of information window styles that have been launched or will be launched.
Ministry Launches Humanoid Robot Training Initiative
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission issued a notice on jointly carrying out the 2026 humanoid robot and embodied intelligence real-scene training special action. The initiative aims to continuously optimize embodied intelligence model algorithms through real-scene training, accumulate high-quality real machine data, improve key component performance of robot bodies, and explore construction of full life-cycle management and guarantee mechanisms for humanoid robots and embodied intelligence products. The notice specifies that by the end of 2026, humanoid robots and other key products will complete application verification and regular deployment in a batch of representative scenarios, initiating "operation mode." The action targets refining over 100 high-value application scenarios to further enrich the embodied intelligence application spectrum, driving formation of ten-thousand-unit scale deployment capability.
National Internet Emergency Center Warns Against Malicious AI Skills
The National Internet Emergency Center (CNCERT) issued a warning after comprehensive assessment revealed that some intelligent agent skill packages (Skills) are openly disseminated under names like "large model jailbreaking" and "mining to earn money," inducing users to break through large model security restrictions or occupy device resources for illegal mining. Such malicious Skills may cause models to generate illegal information, result in user account bans according to law, degrade device performance, and even passively involve users in money laundering and other illegal criminal activities, seriously infringing on personal legitimate rights and interests and endangering network security. CNCERT reminded users and relevant operating units to increase vigilance, strengthen Skills source review and behavior monitoring, promptly remove suspicious components, and prevent security risks arising from this.
Hong Kong Exchange Adjusts Index Futures Price Limits
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing announced on June 9 that it will further optimize price limits for designated stock index futures contracts during the after-hours trading (T+1) session, expanding from the current ±5% to ±6%. The contracts include Hang Seng Index futures, Hang Seng Index Total Return Index futures, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index futures, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index Total Return Index futures, Hang Seng TECH Index futures, Mini-Hang Seng Index futures, and Mini-Hang Seng China Enterprises Index futures, excluding Hang Seng Healthcare Index futures. To ensure exchange participants are prepared for the shortened rest period between T and T+1 sessions and the relaxed price limits for these contracts, Hong Kong Exchanges will hold a practice session on June 20 (Saturday) to test participants' operational readiness.
Biwin Storage Signs $1.86 Billion Flash Memory Contract
Biwin Storage announced on the evening of June 9 that the company signed a routine operational procurement contract with a certain storage original manufacturer, agreeing to purchase enterprise-level flash memory particles according to specified quantity, price, and timing. The contract's total committed procurement amount is $1.861 billion with locked volume and price, covering a 24-month commitment period. Contract performance period extends from the effective date to June 30, 2028. According to relevant contract provisions, 2026 procurement volume accounts for 4.45% of the company's total NAND FLASH procurement in 2025, a relatively small proportion; 2027 procurement volume accounts for 14.88% of the company's 2025 NAND FLASH procurement total, also a relatively small proportion.
Hellobike Responds to Negative Report
On June 9, Hellobike responded to澎湃新闻 regarding reports claiming the company was on the verge of collapse from listing plan pressures and experiencing accelerated loss of control in competition, regulation, finance, and safety. Hellobike stated that the article extensively used anonymous sources, rumor-based expressions, subjective inferences, and one-sided materials to systematically stigmatize the company, clearly exceeding the scope of normal public opinion supervision. Regarding the article's suspected dissemination of false enterprise information, malicious aggregation of negative content, and damage to corporate reputation, Hellobike has submitted complaints to relevant competent authorities and will defend the company's legitimate rights and interests according to law. Hellobike's current operations, tax payments, employment, and urban operations remain normal, and the company continues to cooperate with competent authorities in various locations to promote standardized governance of the shared two-wheel industry.
BYD Chairman Addresses Stock Valuation Concerns
BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu responded to questions about the company's undervalued stock price during the shareholder meeting on June 9, according to澎湃新闻. "Everyone recognizes our potential, but our current stock price has not yet reflected it. On behalf of the management, I understand and thank everyone for their support," Wang stated. He described BYD as a long-term oriented company that has grown from a 20-person team 30 years ago to its current scale, consistently adhering to development concepts of technological innovation, technology supremacy, and innovation foundation, while following national strategies to expand globally. Wang expressed confidence that performance will continue improving and asked shareholders to maintain patience. The company will continue using technological innovation to drive future growth, grasp key nodes, conduct scientific forward-looking layouts to achieve better and faster company development, "and will definitely achieve better returns for shareholders."
Private Equity Firms Exceeding 10 Billion Yuan Reach Record High
According to statistics from third-party platform Simuwang compiled by澎湃新闻, as of May 31, 2026, the number of private equity firms with assets exceeding 10 billion yuan increased to 139, setting a new historical record. Meanwhile, May performance among these firms showed significant divergence, but year-to-date returns remained impressive with overall gains exceeding 10% and over 90% of these firms posting positive returns.
FAQ
What did China's trade data show for May 2026?
China's General Administration of Customs reported on June 9 that May 2026 total import and export value reached $648.13 billion, up 22.6% year-on-year. Exports totaled $376.78 billion (up 19.4%) and imports reached $271.35 billion (up 27.4%), producing a trade surplus of $105.43 billion. Market analysts attributed the strong export performance to low base effects from the previous year, global AI industry momentum, improved US exports, and price increases.
Why did the US add Chinese companies to its entity list on June 9?
The United States added several Chinese enterprises including Alibaba and BYD to a military-related entity list. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on June 9 that China firmly opposes the US practice of generalizing national security concepts and creating discriminatory lists to suppress Chinese companies. Lin urged the US to correct its practices and said China will take necessary measures to safeguard Chinese companies' legitimate rights and interests.
What did Trump confirm about US military action on June 9?
US President Trump confirmed on June 9 that American military forces were conducting strikes against Iran. Trump stated: "I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding." The statement confirmed ongoing US military operations against Iranian targets.
