From the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, prominent global figures had critical words about the Chinese economy this week.While Sitharaman flagged the growing imbalance in bilateral trade, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva advised China to move from exports to domestic consumption to boost growth. A common thread runs through these arguments that China’s own trade data, also released this week, attested to.We then look at China’s relationship with North Korea. A bridge inauguration took place this week, coming as the two nations have been attempting to deepen their relationship. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first foreign trip this year was also to North Korea.Here is a closer look at these developments:1. Europe to India, China’s trade surplus in focusSitharaman said at the IMF-World Bank annual meeting in Thailand, “The trade imbalance is something which we have been talking with China now for several years. We are denied market access even for those goods for which there are immense market opportunities in China.” She identified sectors such as pharmaceuticals and bovine meat as having export potential.Mao Ning, a Chinese spokesperson, responded that “China never aims for trade surplus” and that it stood ready to work with India and address mutual concerns.Zooming out, the IMF MD also made note of China’s massive exports in the context of discussing the steps that major economies must take: “For (trade) surplus countries, what they need to do is increase domestic consumption. That clearly applies to China’s growth model. Shift from exports more toward domestic consumption.”UPSHOT: China’s trade data showed that its exports increased by around 36% compared to last year, indicating that the overall figures this year will be higher, too.Story continues below this adIn 2025, China hit a record trade surplus of $1 trillion — a figure no country has ever registered. While it was a clear reflection of the country’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse across product categories, from cheap consumer goods to semiconductors and tech products, it also highlighted just how reliant the country has become on the rest of the world to power its economy.China This Week | Rumours about Xi Jinping’s health, US jets arrive in Taiwan, and moreApart from the sense of instability that it lends to the Chinese economy, it also results in a large trade gap with other countries, which have all tried to manage it in different ways. For the United States, the solution under the Trump administration has included tools like tariffs and mandating that China buy certain commodities from it. One big example is soybeans, which hold importance for President Donald Trump in securing the political support of farmers and the rural voter base.For Europe, it has meant a rising number of Chinese automobile exports, especially much-cheaper Hybrid Electric Vehicles, posing a threat to the continent’s flagship carmakers. Earlier this month, trade talks led to a cap imposed on the number of such vehicles reaching Europe, after years of complaints. But automobiles are only part of the picture — the EU’s goods trade deficit with China stands at around 1 billion euros per day.Story continues below this adOn Friday (October 16), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said European industries have called for action, and they would respond with more safeguards in other sectors, adding, “We need to act.”Spurring domestic demand is easier said than done for the Chinese State, with problems ranging from youth unemployment to a long-running real estate crisis. But the chorus of disapproval could hint at more room for some accommodation that has been a long time in the making.2. New China-North Korea bridgeThe Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tabloid Global Times described the bridge over the Yalu River as a “cross-border transport link” between the city of Dandong in Northeast China and Sinuiju in North Korea. Visuals from the event showed trucks with flags of both nations and a Reuters report called it “the largest and most significant land crossing for trade between the two countries.” The newly opened bridge over the Yalu River, linking China and North Korea. (AP)Li Qiang, the Premier of China, quoted the President during a video address, saying, “Xi has pointed out that no matter how the international landscape evolves, the firm position of China’s Party and government to attach great importance to the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK will remain unchanged.”Story continues below this adExplained | With Xi Jinping meeting Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang, what’s driving China-North Korea relations?UPSHOT: The bridge adds another route that could aid the countries’ economic ties. China has long been crucial to the North Korean economy amid the sanctions imposed by much of the world, even as the hermit kingdom has developed a closer relationship with Russia in recent years.This strategy is part of a diversification that the country has attempted, balancing the two major powers. What further complicates the dynamic are Russia-China ties, which are marked by managing competition, economic and diplomatic reliance on one another, and strategic considerations against the West. At times, the three nations have been clubbed together as part of the larger informal “CRINK” (China, Russia, Iran and North Korea) grouping, encapsulating this mix of commonalities and divergences.Rishika Singh is a deputy copyeditor at the Explained Desk of The Indian Express. She enjoys writing on issues related to international relations, and in particular, likes to track and analyse news from China. Additionally, she writes on developments related to politics and culture. She can be reached out at rishika.singh@expressindia.com. ... Read More