Top 10 China news events of 2025

10. China launches island-wide special customs operations in Hainan

An aerial drone photo shows a foreign vessel carrying petrochemical raw materials berthing at Yangpu Port in Danzhou, south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

The Hainan Free Trade Port -- the largest free trade port in the world in terms of area -- began island-wide special customs operations on Dec. 18, a significant step in China's unwavering commitment to high-level opening up and an open global economy.

Over the past year, China has further comprehensively deepened reform and opening up, enabling the economy to forge ahead under pressure, with the full-year GDP expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan.