Dehua ceramics, originating from Fujian Province, China, have long been celebrated as "Blanc de Chine" or "China White," a term coined by French literature 370 years ago. Today, this ancient craft supports a 76 billion yuan industrial cluster, supplying 30% of global ceramic crafts and 60% of China's ceramic export crafts to over 190 countries and regions. However, beneath the surface of artistic acclaim and industrial growth, Dehua faces significant structural challenges as it aims for a 100 billion yuan target by 2027.

At the Shenzhen Guan Shanyue Art Museum, the "Extraordinary White: China White·Dehua Ceramics Aesthetics Exhibition" showcases over 220 pieces spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, including a contemporary 0.2 mm ultra-thin ceramic garment titled "Myth." Yet, the art market's downturn—with 2024 national auction sales dropping 35.38% to 18.354 billion yuan—highlights a disconnect between cultural prestige and commercial reality.

Following the Mandate: Integrating Fujian Blessing Culture and Sailing the World via Hong Kong

Industry insiders consistently cite President Xi Jinping's guidance during his work in Fujian: Dehua's exquisite ceramics must be created, displayed, and disseminated, daring to dream and conquer the world. The consensus is that Dehua should leverage Hong Kong as a national-level international platform to transition from product export to brand, culture, and standard export. Hong Kong's role as a super-connector, international financial hub, and cultural trade center offers Dehua access to global markets, art exchanges, and media exposure.

“Dehua’s ceramics embody the city spirit of ‘Virtue in Action, Nurturing All Things,’ integrating Fujian’s blessing culture into every piece. Through Hong Kong, we can tell the story of Chinese ceramics and Fujian’s blessing culture to the world, promoting values of compassion and shared prosperity.”

Industrial Transformation: Three Drivers of Counter-Trend Growth

Dehua's ceramic industry, with roots in the Neolithic era, has evolved into the world's most complete modern ceramic cluster, boasting the only national-level industrial design institute and intellectual property center in China's ceramic sector. Three key drivers fuel its recent growth: First Driver: From OEM to Original Design. Historically, foreign clients provided designs, and Dehua manufactured. Now, leading firms like Jamei Group have compressed design cycles from 45 to 15 days, with smart production systems adapting to global fragmented, small-batch, fast-delivery demands. At the Canton Fair, original design content in Dehua's exhibits exceeded 60% for the first time.

Second Driver: From Product Export to Cultural and Brand Export. Dehua has established 75 global brand promotion centers and 8 overseas warehouses, with international tours covering 28 countries. "Blanc de Chine" is now a registered EU and Madrid trademark, and Dehua ceramics have been used by Michelin-starred restaurants, the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Qatar World Cup, the Paris Olympics, and UN events. Hong Kong serves as a critical springboard for brand upgrading.

Third Driver: From Manufacturing to "Ceramics+" Cross-Integration. Ceramics plus tourism has revitalized industrial heritage, with the Hongqifang cultural tourism park attracting 14.2 million visitors in 2025. Ceramics plus creative design targets the national trend market, while ceramics plus high-end services supplies luxury hotels and private banquets, achieving 3-10 times price premiums over ordinary tableware.

Confronting Chronic Issues: Five Structural Challenges Beneath the 76 Billion Yuan Base

Despite impressive figures, the industry suffers from structural weaknesses. Over 80% of exports remain OEM, with less than 20% under independent brands. Small and medium enterprises report 10-20% order declines, as global exhibitions boost awareness but fail to convert into sales. Five major challenges persist:

1. Deep-rooted OEM Dependency. High-end R&D, cultural IP conversion, and global marketing remain weak. The industry's scale relies on capacity and labor, not technology or brand. 2. Homogenization and Price Wars. Low-barrier products like tea sets and figurines flood the market, with weak IP protection leading to rampant copying. 3. Talent Gap. The aging master craftsman population and high turnover among young graduates create a shortage of designers, international marketers, and curators. 4. Escalating Trade Barriers. EU anti-dumping duties of 79% threaten exports, while US tariff volatility and stricter technical standards raise compliance costs. 5. Underdeveloped Domestic Market. Over 60% of products rely on exports, with weak domestic branding and distribution. The high-end art market downturn has slashed sales of masterpieces over 100,000 yuan by over 20%.

Multi-Dimensional Breakthrough: Anchoring the Mandate, Sailing via Hong Kong

In response, Dehua is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy: Short-term: Diversifying markets through RCEP countries, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa, leveraging overseas warehouses to bypass tariffs. Hong Kong's trade platforms and exhibitions are key to reaching high-end circles in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Medium-term: Upgrading through technological innovation, collaborating with Tsinghua University and Xiamen University on ultra-thin firing, rare-earth glazes, and smart manufacturing. The county promotes digital transformation, with 225 high-tech enterprises and annual R&D spending exceeding 500 million yuan. Long-term: Building a pyramid brand system: top-tier masterpieces for Hong Kong auctions and international collections; mid-tier designer luxury ceramics for global middle-class consumers; and base-tier cultural creative and affordable daily-use items for mass markets. Global exhibition centers will be upgraded to integrate cultural experience, aesthetic launches, and trade matching, with Hong Kong as the core hub. Talent development is accelerating with a 106 million yuan master studio and 38 special policies to attract international curators and marketing experts.

The 100 Billion Threshold: From Production Base to Global Brand of Eastern Aesthetics

Dehua's ultimate breakthrough lies in leveraging Hong Kong to achieve integrated upgrades in product, standard, culture, and model export. By internationalizing Dehua's craft standards and establishing a global certification system, the industry aims to gain international voice and cultural pricing power. As the 0.2 mm ultra-thin ceramic garment at the Guan Shanyue Museum symbolizes, Dehua must balance artistic excellence with commercial viability, tradition with innovation, and export with domestic market development.

“The 3,700-year-old ‘China White’ is bravely carrying its industrial dreams to the world, guided by the spirit of ‘Virtue in Action, Nurturing All Things’ and the blessing culture of Fujian.”

Source: Read the original article | Published: June 05, 2026

Shendun Trade has introduced a one-piece shower tray, showcased at the 2026 Taiwan International Interior Design Expo from July 9 to 12 at Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1, Booth K013. The company, which also imports Belgium's Buzon raised floor pedestal systems—a leading manufacturer recognized by architects and designers and installed in 35 countries—offers solutions for office raised floors, roof insulation, and wood-grain tile installations.

Ideal Solution for Bathroom Renovations

Shendun Trade highlighted common bathroom issues such as drainage side leakage damaging the mortar layer, wall peeling from long-term water seepage, cracking of low-hardness shower trays, efflorescence from personal care product penetration, aging sealant causing water leakage, and brittle sealant detachment. To address these, the company launched the one-piece shower tray as the optimal solution for old house renovations.

Triple-Protection Design

The one-piece shower tray features a sintered stone anti-slip surface with high density and zero permeability, achieved through a composite process. It includes a ceramic foam base fired at 1200°C for waterproofing and honeycomb structure insulation, plus an L-shaped metal edge for stability and edge protection. This triple-layer system ensures leak prevention from the source.

European Standards and Features

The tray meets European standards for cleanliness and durability, offering resistance to thermal shock and aging, anti-yellowing, anti-static, flame retardancy, thermal stability, high strength, and easy installation and cleaning. Key features include same-floor drainage, built-in slope for rapid drainage, integrated design for quick installation, waterproofing, dry-wet separation, and seamless tiling. Color options include dry-grain milk gray, dry-grain milk yellow, dry-grain golden sand beige, sandstone pure white, sandstone medium gray, and sandstone pure black.

Company Information

Shendun Trade's product range includes Belgium BUZON raised floor pedestal systems, one-piece shower trays, Boltu air conditioners without outdoor units, and roof insulation and soundproofing methods. For inquiries, contact (07) 3489-353 or visit //www.buzon.com.tw/.

Source: Read the original article | Published: June 03, 2026

The National Federation of Building Materials Commercial Associations of the Republic of China (referred to as the Building Materials Federation) held its "Second Session of the Second General Meeting" on May 27 at Dazhi Dianhua, with over a hundred representatives from building materials associations across counties and cities, member enterprises, and industry guests gathering together. Xu Shu-bo, Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China, Dai Wei-shan, a councilor of New Taipei City, former legislator Gao Jia-yu, and several central and local elected officials attended, demonstrating the high level of attention given to the development of the building materials industry. Since its establishment, the Building Materials Federation has entered its second term. It is composed of building materials associations from Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Taichung City, Changhua County, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. It is one of the most representative national building materials industry organizations in the country, tasked with integrating industry resources, reflecting industry needs, promoting policy recommendations, and enhancing industry competitiveness. Lin Ze-bin, Chairman of the Building Materials Federation, along with directors, supervisors, and distinguished guests, attended the meeting. Photo by Weng Yong-quan.

Focusing on Nine Development Directions, Launching the “National Building and Home Industry Alliance”

At this general meeting, several important proposals were passed, the most notable being the formal promotion of the establishment of the "National Building and Home Industry Alliance." This alliance will join forces with six national industry associations: the National Federation of Interior Design and Decoration Commercial Associations of the Republic of China, the Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association, the National Federation of Kitchen and Cabinet Commercial Associations of the Republic of China, the National Federation of Timber Commercial Associations of the Republic of China, the National Federation of Fireproof Door Commercial Associations of the Republic of China, and the National Federation of Electrical Commercial Associations of the Republic of China. Together, they aim to create a cross-industry cooperation platform to promote deep integration of the construction, design, home, equipment, materials, and logistics supply chain. The meeting also passed nine development directions, including promoting the "Green Building Materials and Old House Life Extension Promotion Plan," establishing a "Youth Committee and Digital Transformation Promotion Team," building a "Federation's Recommended Quality Building Materials Platform," promoting the "International Building Materials Exchange and Visit Plan," and promoting ESG and smart building materials applications. These received unanimous support from all members and will be gradually implemented in the future.

Chen Dong-qing, Founding Chairman of the Building Materials Federation (left), Xu Shu-bo, Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce (center), and Lin Ze-bin, Chairman. Photo by Weng Yong-quan. Lin Ze-bin, Chairman of the Building Materials Federation, stated that in the face of rapid global industry changes and intensified market competition, Taiwan's building materials industry must actively enhance its international perspective and innovation capabilities. In the future, the Federation will continue to deepen exchanges with the building materials industries of Italy, Japan, and other Asian countries, and combine resources from the design, construction, logistics, and home industries to create a cross-domain cooperation platform, assisting members in grasping international trends and market opportunities, and promoting industrial transformation and upgrading.

General Chamber of Commerce Supports Industry Upgrading, Creating a Friendly Business Environment

In his speech, Xu Shu-bo, Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China, stated that the building materials industry is a crucial foundation for national construction and people's livelihood development, playing a key role in public works, residential construction, urban renewal, and the promotion of green buildings. In recent years, the Building Materials Federation has actively integrated national industry forces, proposed policy recommendations, and promoted cross-border cooperation, gradually demonstrating the influence and value of a national industry organization. Xu Shu-bo emphasized that in the face of global supply chain restructuring, net-zero carbon emissions, and digital transformation trends, the industry needs to use industry association platforms to build consensus and integrate resources. The General Chamber of Commerce will continue to support the development of the building materials industry, jointly reflecting industry needs to the government, and creating a friendlier and more competitive business environment.

Facing Market Challenges: Industry, Government, and Academia Join Forces to Solve Talent and Regulatory Bottlenecks

Lin Ze-bin pointed out that the building materials industry still faces multiple challenges, including fluctuations in raw material and transportation costs due to changes in the international political and economic situation, a shortage of grassroots and professional technical talent caused by the declining birth rate, and issues related to building codes, fire safety regulations, and product certification systems. These all require joint efforts from the government and industry to develop improvement plans. Among these, the shortage of professional technical personnel has become a major bottleneck for industry development. In the future, the Federation will actively collaborate with relevant industry associations and alliances to promote professional technical talent cultivation, youth succession plans, and international technical talent exchange mechanisms. It also recommends that the government refer to the experiences of advanced countries such as Japan and Singapore to establish a talent introduction and cultivation system that better meets industry needs. This year, the Federation will also cooperate with the government to promote old house life extension, net-zero buildings, and energy-saving and carbon-reduction policies. It will integrate member companies' products and technologies that meet the needs for green building materials, energy efficiency, safety, and smart features, establishing a building materials recommendation platform and information database to help consumers, designers, and construction professionals quickly access quality product information, jointly promoting industry upgrading and sustainable development. Chairman Lin Ze-bin expressed gratitude to former legislator Gao Jia-yu (center) and wished her a high vote count in the year-end election. Photo by Weng Yong-quan.

Carrying Forward the Legacy, Building a New Future for the Building Materials Industry

Looking ahead, Lin Ze-bin stated that the Federation will uphold the philosophy of "carrying forward the legacy and creating the future together," continuing the foundation laid by Founding Chairman Chen Dong-qing. It will continue to unite the strength of building materials businesses nationwide, deepen industry cooperation, promote international integration, accelerate digital transformation, and cultivate young talent. Through the "National Building and Home Industry Alliance" platform, the Federation will also promote cross-industry resource sharing and collaborative innovation, jointly building a more complete building and home industry ecosystem. Together with member enterprises, it will seize new opportunities for industrial upgrading and create a more competitive and sustainable new landscape for Taiwan's building materials industry.

Source: Read the original article | Published: June 01, 2026

Finance

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Urban Renewal '15th Five-Year Plan' Released, Set to Drive Trillions of Yuan in Investment

Source: Xinhua News Agency New Media | May 29, 2026 10:41

Xinhua News Agency New Media | May 29, 2026 10:41

Original Title: Urban Renewal '15th Five-Year Plan' Released, Set to Drive Trillions of Yuan in Investment

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 29 – The Economic Information Daily published an article on May 29 by reporter Liang Qian titled "Urban Renewal '15th Five-Year Plan' Released, Set to Drive Trillions of Yuan in Investment." The article states that cities are important carriers of modernization and key spaces for people's happy lives. On May 28, the State Council issued the "Urban Renewal '15th Five-Year Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), providing a clear "construction blueprint" and "acceptance checklist" for national urban renewal efforts.

According to the Plan, by 2030, significant progress will be made in urban renewal actions, with initial results in the transformation of urban development and construction methods, a more solid foundation for safety development, continuously improved service efficiency, noticeably improved living environments, accelerated transformation of old and new growth drivers, effective protection of cultural heritage, more prominent landscape features, and greatly enhanced governance levels, making cities spaces for high-quality living for the people. By 2035, the urban renewal institutional mechanisms will be more complete, with significant achievements in urban structure optimization, growth driver transformation, quality improvement, green transformation, cultural continuity, and governance efficiency, and the basic completion of innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart modern people's cities.

Specifically, the Plan sets quantifiable targets for urban renewal during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. In terms of housing and living, it will renovate about 500,000 units (rooms) of dilapidated urban housing, start renovation of about 115,000 old urban residential communities, and renovate about 4,000 urban villages. For public spaces, it will renovate and upgrade about 1,500 old neighborhoods and factory areas, newly build and expand 128,000 hectares of sports venues, and renovate and upgrade 20,000 hectares of urban parks and green spaces. For safety and resilience, it will complete 365,000 kilometers of urban underground pipeline network renovation, renovate 50,000 existing emergency shelters, and achieve a digitalization rate of over 95% for basic information on urban and rural housing.

According to estimates from multiple institutions, the total market capacity for urban renewal during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period is expected to reach 15 to 20 trillion yuan. This policy dividend will fully activate related industrial chains, bringing long-term investment opportunities. A research report from CITIC Securities stated that high-quality urban renewal places higher demands on creating high-quality housing, livable urban spaces, and convenient surrounding facilities. Real estate companies with strong product capabilities and a presence in core cities are expected to deeply participate in high-quality urban renewal work. From the perspective of Galaxy Securities, as urban development shifts to the stage of improving the quality of existing stock, sectors related to urban renewal and old residential community renovation, such as construction, planning consulting, inspection and testing, and decoration, will benefit.

Zhang Bo, Dean of the 58.com Research Institute, stated that the release of the Plan marks a new phase of institutionalized, long-term, and market-oriented urban renewal. Urban renewal is transforming from a single physical space renovation to a composite drive of "space + industry + consumption," with profound impacts on the real estate market.

“The release of the Plan marks a new phase of institutionalized, long-term, and market-oriented urban renewal. Urban renewal is transforming from a single physical space renovation to a composite drive of ‘space + industry + consumption,’ with profound impacts on the real estate market.”

Yan Yuejin, Vice President of the Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute, pointed out that urban renewal has entered a period of comprehensive acceleration, injecting lasting momentum into high-quality urban development and bringing broad opportunities for the real economy and capital markets. Yan Yuejin estimates that urban renewal will directly drive the development of upstream and downstream industrial chains such as construction, building materials, engineering machinery, and planning and design, with underground pipeline network renovation alone reaching 5 trillion yuan. The renovation of old residential communities, urban villages, and dilapidated housing will also continue to drive growth in industries such as decoration, home building materials, and elevators.

According to the Plan, it will promote the transformation and upgrading of old neighborhoods and factory areas, low-efficiency industrial parks, and low-efficiency buildings, optimize and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging and future industries, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and enhance the innovation vitality of urban industries. It will develop smart construction and cultivate a modern construction industry chain. It will promote the renovation and upgrading of consumption infrastructure, and develop the debut economy, silver economy, ice and snow economy, low-altitude economy, event economy, and experience economy.

Yan Yuejin stated that urban renewal is not simply "demolishing the old and building the new," but activating consumption potential through spatial restructuring. The renovation of old neighborhoods and factory areas into cultural and creative parks and characteristic commercial streets will directly drive the prosperity of industries such as catering, retail, and entertainment. The renovation and upgrading of sports venues and parks and green spaces will create new scenarios for sports consumption, parent-child consumption, silver consumption, and leisure consumption, further expanding the breadth and depth of urban consumption.

Due to the wide scope and large funding needs of urban renewal, the Plan also provides substantial policy support.

In terms of investment and financing, the Plan establishes a sustainable urban construction and operation investment and financing system. It explicitly allows the use of local government special bonds to support eligible urban renewal projects, including as project capital. For projects with controllable risks, commercial sustainability, and eligibility, it allows the use of market-oriented models such as comprehensive development, syndicated loans, and project investment for support. It promotes the issuance of infrastructure real estate investment trusts (REITs) and asset-backed securities for eligible urban renewal projects, and supports eligible urban renewal enterprises in issuing corporate bonds and medium-term notes.

At the same time, following the principle of "who benefits, who contributes," it will fully leverage market mechanisms to build a reasonable cost-sharing mechanism among the government, market, and residents. It will standardize the implementation of new mechanisms for government and social capital cooperation, encouraging private enterprises to actively participate in the construction and operation of urban infrastructure. It will prudently and steadily advance public utility price reforms. It will increase support for revitalizing existing land. For example, it will promote the legal and reasonable conversion of land use and building functions, encourage multi-subject cooperative renovation, and reasonably reduce tax burdens in land integration, replacement, and joint development. It will standardize land supply methods such as long-term leasing, lease-before-sale, and flexible-term supply, and support land transfer with plans.

From "development" to "renewal," from "having or not" to "good or bad," as trillions of yuan in investment steadily lands, new consumption scenarios bloom one after another, and new industrial spaces grow, the comprehensive benefits of urban renewal will continue to be released across multiple dimensions such as economy, society, and ecology, injecting lasting momentum into high-quality development. (End)

Editor: Si Xiaoying

Responsible Editor: Jiao Jian

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 29, 2026

With the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's construction industry is undergoing a profound transformation from 'construction' to 'intelligent manufacturing' and from 'high-carbon' to 'low-carbon'. From September 20 to 23, 2026, in Hefei, Anhui, a major industry event—the Green Building Materials and Intelligent Construction Expo at the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention—will be held at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center. This expo brings together innovative forces across the entire industrial chain, including green building materials, intelligent construction, prefabricated technology, and integrated home furnishings. As a core component of the market-oriented exhibition of the World Manufacturing Convention, the expo is themed 'Green Leadership, Intelligent Manufacturing Summit' and covers a total planned area of approximately 90,000 square meters. Organized by the Anhui Green Building Materials Products Association, it aims to create an industrial highland deeply integrating government, industry, academia, research, finance, and application.

Policy Dividends + Trillion-Yuan Market: Green Construction Enters the ‘Fast Lane’

2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and the digital transformation of the housing and urban-rural construction sector has entered a critical phase. A series of policies, such as the 'Action Plan for Digital Transformation in Housing and Urban-Rural Construction (2026–2028),' have been intensively released. New technologies like digital twins, full-lifecycle BIM applications, construction robots, and the construction industry internet are rapidly reshaping the industry ecosystem. Anhui, as a strategic intersection of the Yangtze River Delta integration and the rise of central China, has seen its total construction output value reach the trillion-yuan scale, with a surge in demand for the integration of green buildings and intelligent construction.

'This expo is not only a window for technology display but also an accelerator for industrial implementation,' said a representative of the organizer. Leveraging the national-level platform of the World Manufacturing Convention, the expo will gather large real estate developers, central state-owned infrastructure enterprises, local governments, and buyers from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, precisely matching supply and demand to help companies seize opportunities in the green and low-carbon transformation.

Seven Exhibition Areas Covering the Full Spectrum: From ‘Good Homes’ to ‘Future Construction Sites’

Unlike the single perspective of traditional building materials exhibitions, this Green Building Materials and Intelligent Construction Expo focuses on the innovation and upgrade of the entire construction industry chain, setting up seven themed exhibition areas. These areas present a panoramic view of the complete ecosystem, from green basic materials and intelligent construction equipment to integrated home furnishings and energy-saving systems:

Green Building New Materials Exhibition Area: Focuses on green walls, new concrete, waterproof and insulation systems, eco-friendly coatings, and flooring materials, promoting a 'greener foundation' for buildings.

Intelligent Construction Industry Exhibition Area: Features construction-specific robots, smart construction sites, BIM technology, digital design, and operation and maintenance platforms—showcasing 'good home' demonstration projects.

Prefabricated Building Exhibition Area: Displays PC component production equipment, precast concrete structures, formwork scaffolding, and connection technology, supporting the concept of 'building houses like manufacturing cars.'

Building Energy Efficiency Products Exhibition Area: Presents Class A fireproof insulation materials, energy-efficient doors and windows, and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), turning buildings into 'green power stations.'

Customized Home Furnishings Exhibition Area: Offers whole-house customization, smart home ecosystems, woodworking, and hardware accessories, providing complete solutions from rough construction to smart living spaces.

Doors, Windows, and Accessories Exhibition Area: Showcases system doors and windows, smart shading, fire doors, and curtain wall glass, balancing safety, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.

Eco-Friendly Decoration Materials Exhibition Area: Features water-based coatings, integrated ceilings, smart sanitary ware, fresh air systems, and comfort home products, leading the upgrade of indoor environmental health.

'From a brick to a construction robot, from design drawings to delivery and operation, visitors will see how 'green + intelligence' runs through the entire lifecycle of a building,' said the expo representative.

10+ High-Level Events: Building a ‘Four-in-One’ Industry Ecosystem

Adhering to the model of 'exhibition + forum + matchmaking + release,' the expo will concurrently host over 10 professional events to strengthen industry leadership:

High-End Forums: Inviting leaders from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, academicians, experts, and executives from leading companies like Huawei and Country Garden to engage in top-level dialogues on topics such as 'AI + Housing and Urban-Rural Construction,' 'Prefabricated Steel Structures and Modular Buildings,' and 'Urban Renewal: Renovation Design for Old Houses.'

Precise Matchmaking: Establishing a 'one-on-one business matching' service, pre-screening core buyers such as real estate developers, design institutes, and engineering companies. It is expected that over 70% of professional visitors will have procurement decision-making power. The expo will also organize government-enterprise procurement meetings and industry chain supply-demand matching sessions.

Results Release: Hosting new technology/product launches and excellent case evaluations, and including selected cases in the 'Application Case Collection of New Construction Methods' for comprehensive brand promotion.

Talent and Finance: Collaborating with relevant departments to hold specialized recruitment events for the housing and construction sector and government-bank-enterprise project promotion meetings, bridging capital and talent chains to address innovation pain points for enterprises.

Seizing the ‘Intelligent Manufacturing Summit’ Window: Global Recruitment Now Open

'The World Manufacturing Convention is an international high-level event approved by the State Council. In 2025, it attracted over 500,000 offline visitors. In 2026, coinciding with the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Green Building Materials and Intelligent Construction Expo will serve as an excellent stage for companies to announce annual strategies, showcase benchmark technologies, and connect with quality resources,' said the organizer. Recruitment for exhibitors is now fully underway, inviting domestic and international enterprises and research institutions in green building materials, intelligent equipment, prefabricated buildings, and integrated home furnishings to actively participate.

Industry insiders widely believe that with the deepening of the 'dual carbon' goals and the shift in the construction industry's labor structure, green and intelligent development have become unavoidable issues for the sector. In September 2026, Hefei, Anhui, will draw global attention, witnessing China's construction industry transition from 'scale dividends' to 'quality dividends.' Green, low-carbon, smart, and efficient 'future buildings' will emerge from here and spread across the country and the world.

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 28, 2026

The Real Estate Center / Comprehensive Report In contemporary interior space design, breakthroughs in materials science are sparking a revolution in durability and structural mechanics. Traditional surface materials are often limited by the capillary water absorption of natural stone or the joint and structural brittleness of ordinary ceramic tiles. Modern materials engineering has given rise to large-format slabs through ultra-high-temperature sintering technology, leveraging their near-zero porosity physical properties and excellent mechanical stability to become a new focus in cross-disciplinary material applications. Orostone, a company long dedicated to this field, along with its sub-brand Yaojin Stone, has recently pushed the application scope of this material to new heights through systematic technology integration. From a materials engineering perspective, the superior performance of large-format slabs stems from their rigorous manufacturing process. By selecting inorganic non-metallic mineral raw materials and subjecting them to ultra-high-pressure crystallization sintering at temperatures exceeding 1200°C, the internal material achieves a fully vitrified state. This high-density microstructure directly determines its macroscopic properties, reducing water absorption to below 0.1%, far lower than traditional ceramic tiles and natural stone. The microscopic zero-porosity state means that liquids can hardly penetrate through capillary action, fundamentally preventing stain retention and mold growth. Additionally, its silicate network structure possesses strong chemical bond energy, exhibiting excellent chemical inertness against acidic and alkaline substances frequently encountered in kitchens and bathrooms, thereby maintaining its original gloss and color over the long term. Moreover, the thousand-degree high-temperature quenching endows it with an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, enabling it to withstand severe thermal shock without easily developing internal stress concentrations, effectively avoiding cracking and deformation.

Beyond its physical and chemical advantages, large-format slabs have also achieved significant breakthroughs in processing engineering. Modern precision technology, through thermal stress control of large-format slabs, has developed high-end nonlinear processes such as hot-bent integrated basins. Under specific high temperatures, the slab undergoes plastic deformation to achieve seamless curved transitions, eliminating joints and greatly enhancing the structural integrity of the object. At the same time, the low magnetic permeability and high-temperature resistance of large-format slabs allow them to perfectly integrate with hidden IH induction heating cooktops, where electromagnetic waves can penetrate the slab to directly act on cookware. In this regard, the Orostone team has also strengthened the physical integration of such materials with smart home appliances through cross-disciplinary R&D and collaboration with international brands, showcasing the diverse physical roles of materials science in future smart homes. However, the large individual surface area of large-format slabs imposes extremely high requirements on the flatness of the substrate, the rheology of the adhesive, and the geometric precision of on-site installation. From geometric measurement and laser cutting to on-site joint aesthetic finishing, every step essentially involves precise control over material stress and geometric deformation. Through a one-stop, systematic integrated construction model, cumulative errors from multi-interface connections can be significantly reduced, ensuring that the mechanical properties and high-end aesthetic level of large-format slabs are maximally realized in real spaces.

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 28, 2026

Orostone Vice President Fang Xianzhi said that large-format slabs are made using high-temperature firing technology, resulting in a surface with nearly zero porosity, low water absorption, and resistance to acids, alkalis, high temperatures, and high stability. Compared to ordinary materials, large-format slabs maintain a stable appearance and texture in high-use areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, are easy to clean, and reduce daily maintenance burdens. Fang Xianzhi stated that the team has long visited Germany, Spain, Italy, South Korea, and China to grasp international design trends and absorb experience in spatial and showroom planning. The flagship store introduces immersive showrooms that blend art, luxury, and prestige experiences, featuring a variety of large-format slab colors and complete spatial application displays, including white stone patterns, gray tones, and special textures. It also employs high-end craftsmanship such as "hot-bent integrated basins" and integrates multiple cross-industry applications, including hidden induction cooktops suitable for kitchen islands, and collaborates with renowned sanitary ware brand KOHLER to enhance spatial quality and completeness.

Large-format slabs can create a sense of expanded space through seamless integration, becoming a new design trend in recent years with increasingly widespread use. (Provided by the company) Fang Xianzhi emphasized that large-format slabs are large in size, making transportation, cutting, and installation highly technical. Orostone offers a rare one-stop integrated service, from trade import, slab sales, measurement and drafting, material cutting and processing, driver delivery, on-site installation, to joint finishing, all handled by its own team. Through a single window for communication, it reduces multi-party coordination costs, improves construction efficiency and overall quality, making the renovation process smoother. With extensive construction experience, quality and durability are beyond question.

To meet growing market demand, the flagship store model aims to provide an intuitive and efficient material selection experience. The company will continue to optimize products and services, offering a "total solution" to become a trusted professional brand for designers and consumers. For more information, visit the Orostone official website or Facebook fan page.

Orostone has an experienced construction team, and its one-stop service ensures quality, winning consumer favor. (Provided by the company)

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 28, 2026

According to a report by Mining Weekly, China's steel production is declining due to weak real estate construction and falling exports, but iron ore imports continue to increase. This trend is driven by temporary factors such as inventory rebuilding and potential supply disruptions, as well as structural factors like declining domestic iron ore output and deteriorating ore quality. In the long term, China may continue to rely on iron ore imports to meet its steel production needs.

China produces slightly more than half of the world's steel. In April, China's steel output was 86.63 million tons, down 2.8% from the same month in 2025, marking the weakest April data since 2018. In the first four months of the year, steel output was 331.12 million tons, down 4.1% year-on-year, mainly due to persistently weak real estate construction and declining exports.

However, iron ore imports increased by 8% in the first four months of the year, reaching 418.6 million tons. China's April iron ore imports were 103.9 million tons, down 0.8% from March's 104.74 million tons; but since April has one fewer day than March, the daily average actually increased slightly. The market expects imports to remain relatively strong in May, with DBX Commodities analysts estimating seaborne arrivals at 104.67 million tons.

A long-term factor driving iron ore imports is the slow decline in China's domestic iron ore output, exacerbated by deteriorating ore grades, meaning that even if the same amount of ore is mined, the actual iron content produced is lower. According to MySteel data, China's iron ore output in the first four months of the year was 326.8 million tons, down 1% year-on-year. In 2025, China's iron ore output had already fallen by 2.8%, from 1.04 billion tons in 2024 to 983 million tons.

Over the past two decades, China has built the world's largest steel industry chain, relying on real estate, high-speed infrastructure, and export-oriented manufacturing. However, with the adjustment of the real estate bubble, slowing global demand, and rising energy and geopolitical risks, China's steel market is gradually entering a new phase. The changes in iron ore imports and domestic supply structure are important signals of this transformation.

China's past steel demand was highly dependent on residential construction, with the real estate sector once accounting for nearly 30% of China's GDP and driving massive demand for rebar, hot-rolled steel plates, and building materials. However, since the Evergrande crisis, China's real estate market has continued to deleverage, with a large number of projects halted, local government finances deteriorating, and population growth slowing with a declining young population, making it difficult for housing demand to recover to past peaks.

On the other hand, China's steel exports are also facing pressure. In recent years, China has absorbed excess capacity through low-priced steel exports, but as the global economy slows and protectionism rises, many countries have launched anti-dumping investigations and tariff restrictions on Chinese steel. In the first four months of the year, China's steel exports fell by 9.7% year-on-year, indicating weakening external demand.

However, despite weakening demand, China's steel industry has become more dependent on imported iron ore. One important reason is the continuous deterioration in the quality and output of domestic iron ore. Therefore, even as total steel output declines, China still needs to import large quantities of high-grade iron ore to improve steelmaking efficiency and reduce pollution. This is also why iron ore exports from Australia and Brazil remain strong.

This also exposes China to long-term raw material security issues. China is the world's largest steel producer, but it is highly dependent on iron ore imports, especially from Australia. In recent years, China has tried to reduce its dependence on Australia through the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, Africa, but it is difficult to change the global supply pattern in the short term. Against this backdrop, the importance of high-grade imported iron ore will continue to rise, as high-grade ore can reduce coking coal consumption and carbon emissions, aligning with China's carbon neutrality policy direction.

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 27, 2026

From fading pharmaceutical packaging and food trays, to urgent shortages of garbage bags and medical gloves, and further to construction materials like paint and asphalt causing project delays or even stoppages—a crisis triggered by naphtha shortages is spreading across Japan, affecting various aspects of the economy and social life.

According to Xinhua News Agency, why is naphtha so important? How severe is Japan's 'naphtha crisis'? What is the root cause of the crisis?

How Important Is Naphtha?

Naphtha is a key byproduct of crude oil refining, serving not only as a core basic raw material for modern manufacturing and chemical industries but also as a critical upstream material in the semiconductor industry chain.

Through cracking, naphtha generates basic chemical raw materials such as ethylene, propylene, and butadiene, which then extend downstream into plastics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, paints, adhesives, surfactants, and pharmaceutical intermediates. Simply put, from clothing, phone cases, and garbage bags to food packaging, medical consumables, automotive interiors, and building materials, everyday life is almost inseparable from it. Once naphtha supply decreases or is interrupted, numerous downstream related industries will be affected.

Japan is highly dependent on energy imports. As of the end of February, its dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil approached 95%, and over 40% of its naphtha consumption also requires imports from the Middle East. Due to the ongoing Middle East conflicts and the persistent 'blockage' of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Japan's imports of crude oil and naphtha have stalled.

The latest trade statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance show that in April, Japan's crude oil imports fell by 63.7% year-on-year, hitting the lowest monthly level since 1979, with a significant decline in imports from the Middle East; the import price of crude oil in that month rose by 37.9% year-on-year, setting a new record since comparable data began in 1979. According to statistics from market service firm IHS Markit, Japan's imports of petroleum products including naphtha fell by about 30% month-on-month in March, with further declines in April.

The latest opinion poll by Kyodo News shows that 70.6% of Japanese respondents directly stated they 'feel uneasy' due to insufficient naphtha supply.

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 23, 2026

Release and Interpretation of the "Anxi, Yongchun, Dehua Industrial Integration Development Blue Paper (2026)" (Photo by Zheng Zhide)

On May 9, the "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense Accompany Fashionable Living in Quanzhou" Conference and the Summary Meeting of the Anxi, Yongchun, and Dehua County Collaboration for Industrial Integration were held in Quanzhou. Anxi, Yongchun, and Dehua have evolved from "one county, one product" to "multiple counties, one cluster," from "selling single products" to "selling Eastern lifestyle aesthetics," and then to the tri-county linkage of the "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" full-chain collaboration. The three regions have forged a distinctive path that breaks down administrative barriers and achieves regional coordinated development.

From Selling Tea Sets to Selling “Tea Space Solutions”

Dehua He Bai Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd., founded in 2024, is one of the participating enterprises in this integration. Project manager Jiang Kaixuan admitted that from its very first day, the brand actively embedded itself into the industrial collaboration system of "Anxi tea, Dehua porcelain, and Yongchun incense."

This is not just a slogan. After nearly two years of effort, its core team has successfully incubated the "He Bai Long Kiln" ceramic brand. Their zero-to-one operational experience made them realize: pure ceramic products are facing homogenized competition, while consumer demands have changed. "Consumers are no longer just buying a tea set; they want to build a complete tea space experience," said Jiang Kaixuan.

This insight is directly reflected in product design. Take the "Reunion Elegant Collection" set as an example: it collaborates with provincial-level masters to replicate the Ming Dynasty "Child Red" glaze, insists on firing with raw ore clay and raw ore glaze, and features the Inviting Moon Teapot, Deep Autumn Cup, and Jade Rabbit Incense Holder, all showcasing ancient craftsmanship. Paired with Yongchun's intangible cultural heritage "Laosan" sandalwood's elegant smoke and the rich tea flavor from Anxi's core production areas, the set has sold over 600,000 yuan, becoming a benchmark gift for "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense." What "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" sells is not utensils, but an immersive experience scene for the Mid-Autumn reunion. Another product, the "Galloping Horse" incense holder, sold over 1,000 units in less than a month, validating the daily consumption potential of the "porcelain + incense" combination.

He Bai project manager Jiang Kaixuan introduces the "Reunion Elegant Collection" to clients (Photo by Zheng Zhide)

He Bai's practice reveals a deeper shift: brands are moving from "selling tea sets" to "providing solutions for tea drinking." Jiang Kaixuan observed that discerning tea drinkers will deduce the capacity and shape of tea utensils based on the type of tea. For example, drinking high-aroma rock tea requires a pot that concentrates fragrance, with a tea-to-water ratio of 1:30 corresponding to a 110 ml pot. This means the brand must understand tea to make good porcelain.

This is precisely the challenge of integration. Currently, He Bai's collaboration within "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" is mainly achieved through online live streaming, promoting tea and incense products alongside porcelain, which has yielded good results, with several tea and incense items becoming minor hits in the live stream. However, deep offline integration is still being explored. Jiang Kaixuan stated that future plans include outputting complete "tea space" solutions through offline showrooms, deeply binding tea, porcelain, and incense with consumers' need for tranquility.

From Production-End Exploration to Supply-Side Support

If He Bai represents exploration on the production end, then the "iCeramic" industrial internet platform demonstrates how the supply chain can provide offline selection centers and online digital platforms for the integrated development of "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense."

This platform was created and operated by Fujian Zhongci Network Technology Co., Ltd. in 2018, dedicated to empowering the transformation and development of China's ceramic industry with digital technology. According to Tu Rongbiao, General Manager of the iCeramic platform, the platform has served over 3,000 enterprises, displayed over 100,000 products, and provided one-stop services for buyers, including source goods, live-streaming training, shared cloud warehouses, and flexible customization. This system has significantly reduced the transaction costs of cross-border cooperation within "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense." "Last year, the platform collaborated with the government to invite top streamers for origin-tracing live streams," Tu Rongbiao said. Streamers from Taobao's top accounts, such as Bee Surprise Club and Lie'er Baby, visited the production areas of Dehua, Yongchun, and Anxi. In the live rooms, streamers simultaneously recommended ceramic tea sets, Anxi tea leaves, and Yongchun incense, shaping a lifestyle of "brewing tea, lighting incense, and appreciating porcelain." Among these, Lie'er Baby's special live stream achieved a total transaction volume exceeding 4 million yuan.

Tu Rongbiao also admitted that the current integration of "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" remains mostly at the marketing activity level. "It's not about rigidly packaging three products into one gift box, but naturally matching them in a live-streaming scenario." He gave an example: the "Shadowy Blue Relief Tea Set," with Song Dynasty shadowy blue glaze as its soul and three-dimensional relief peony petals visible through the body, paired with a porcelain-carved zodiac horse incense holder, Yongchun incense, and Anxi tea, at least quadruples the average order value—this is real incremental growth. However, deeper integration is still anticipated. Tu Rongbiao believes that enterprises from the three regions can embed each other in the product design stage, such as reserving a spot for incense in ceramic ornaments, using Dehua porcelain as standard ware in Anxi tea shops, and reflecting tri-county co-branding in packaging design. "The government has already built the basic platform; the next act needs to be played out among enterprises."

Another value of iCeramic lies in data feedback. The platform feeds back market hot-seller information and trend data to factories, helping them precisely develop products. This is particularly crucial in developing integrated "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" products; enterprises need to know what combinations of tea sets, teas, and incense are more popular in the market, rather than blindly matching them.

Tu Rongbiao pointed out that the brand awareness of Dehua ceramics as a production area still has significant room for improvement, which objectively limits the market recognition of integrated products. To this end, he suggested continuously inviting top influencers and celebrities to visit the production areas for origin-tracing promotions, thereby strengthening the production area's brand image and promoting the Dehua ceramic industry and "Chinese White" culture to become stronger and better through the internet.

The "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" live-streaming scene gains market favor (Photo by Zheng Zhide)

From Event Momentum to Building a “Six-Link” Mechanism

From the government perspective, "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" is no longer just a series of events; it is a highly anticipated path for regional coordinated development.

Data shows that since 2024, the three counties have organized over 210 high-quality enterprises, integrated more than 2,300 fusion products, and driven cumulative sales exceeding 2.7 billion yuan, achieving a synergistic effect of "1+1+1>3." Behind this figure lies the operation of the "Six-Link" mechanism: "county alliance, industry linkage, brand co-branding, master collaboration, enterprise joint operation, and e-commerce joint broadcasting."

The three county governments jointly signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Integration and Collaboration," established a joint working group, and set up a regular consultation mechanism. They advance work around six key tasks: co-building brands, sharing channels, co-creating products, co-cultivating talent, co-establishing standards, and co-expanding markets. This mechanism ensures that integration is not a fleeting trend but a sustained institutional arrangement.

However, the "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" integration is still in its early stages. The Dehua ceramic industry is mainly constrained by the fragmentation of enterprises and homogenized competition, a lack of deep product and channel integration, and a shortage of composite talent. The future key lies in whether market mechanisms can drive enterprises to truly play their roles.

The "Anxi, Yongchun, Dehua Industrial Integration Development Blue Paper (2026)" released by the Research Institute of the China International Electronic Commerce Center attempts to answer the question of "how to integrate in the future." The Blue Paper suggests shifting from traditional manufacturing to value creation, promoting design R&D and the transformation of cultural symbols. Jiang Yaoping, former Vice Minister of Commerce, emphasized in his keynote speech that the highest level of business model is to supply a lifestyle that people aspire to.

The industrial integration and upgrading of the three counties under "Tea, Porcelain, and Incense" is not simply about selling a few more products; it is about packaging Anxi tea, Yongchun incense, and Dehua porcelain into a holistic output of Eastern lifestyle aesthetics. (Photo by Zheng Zhide)

Source: Read the original article | Published: May 21, 2026