By He Yin, People’s Daily
In today’s world, rising unilateralism and protectionism are severely undermining global development.
The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 released by the World Economic Forum warned that the current level of global cooperation remains insufficient to address major economic, security and environmental challenges.
Amid this landscape, the international community looks to China as a positive force for global development by advancing greater openness, inclusiveness, and shared opportunities.
Over the past year, in the face of mounting headwinds from protectionism, China has stayed committed to expanding opening up.
Its partnership network has grown increasingly diverse. The country recorded trade growth with more than 190 countries and regions and the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises rose by 19.1 percent.
“Made in China” products maintain globally popularity, with high-tech exports increasing by 13.2 percent. Exports of “new trio” products — electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products — surged by 27.1 percent.
Knowledge-intensive service trade demonstrated steady growth, while travel service exports expanded rapidly. Inbound tourist visits rose by 17.1 percent, and visa-free facilitation has made “China travel” a global trend.
Through the efficient flow of commodities, personnel and information, China continues to share its development opportunities with the world.
China’s institutional opening up has steadily enhanced the quality of its engagement. From the launch of island-wide special customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port to futher efforts to enhance institutional opening up in pilot free trade zones, a series of measures has effectively fostered a new system for a higher-standard open economy.
A market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, and a transparent, stable and predictable institutional framework, have become key pillars that underpin the continued confidence of foreign companies and investors in China. A recent report by KPMG shows that 94 percent of multinational corporations intend to keep investing in the Chinese market.
China’s opening up is increasingly generating strong momentum for the world.
A national exhibition matrix, including the China International Import Expo, the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Consumer Products Expo, has taken shape, linking global demand and facilitating international cooperation.
High-quality Belt and Road cooperation continues to deepen and deliver tangible results: Kenya’s Konza Technopolis, dubbed African Silicon Savannah, is rising rapidly and is expected to accelerate the country’s digital transformation; Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, have seen their teaching standards integrated into Nicaragua’s national vocational education system and promoted across the country. The China-Laos Railway has achieved remarkable progress in cultivating local talent, with local employees accounting for more than 67 percent of the workforce on the Laos section.
“Hard connectivity,” “soft connectivity” and “people-to-people connectivity” are moving forward in parallel, comprehensively improving the quality and effectiveness of practical cooperation and injecting strong impetus into common development.
With new plans laid out in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will advance high-level opening up with even richer substance.
China will continue to expand proactive opening up, stabilize and upgrade foreign trade, expand two-way investment cooperation, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
China is forging stronger bonds of open cooperation. It will further expand trials of opening up in sectors like value-added telecommunications, biotechnology, and wholly foreign-owned hospitals. It will guide enterprises in optimizing global resource allocation and support the sound, orderly, and well-regulated growth of the “cross-border e-commerce plus overseas warehouses” model. It will also advance the Smart Customs cooperation partnership. As these initiatives take deeper root and deliver tangible results, China’s opening up will continue to generate strong momentum.
China remains committed to providing all nations with greater and fairer access to the benefits of development. At a time when hegemonic practices undermine international cooperation and the global openness index continues to decline, China has firmly chosen to uphold multilateralism and open cooperation and to safeguard and develop an open world economy. China will remain an “oasis of certainty” in an uncertain world.
As the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, China will promote the negotiation and conclusion of more regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements and work actively toward joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA).
Under the new circumstances, China will firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, participate comprehensively and deeply in the reform of the World Trade Organization, and work with all parties to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
Any attempt to channel the waters in the ocean back into isolated lakes and creeks is simply impossible and runs counter to the trend of history. China will always work with other countries to expand the “cake” of economic globalization and share it more equitably.
Through open development, countries can complement each other’s strengths and share opportunities; and through deeper integration of interests, they can achieve common development and mutual success.
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