The latest economic data for the first half of 2026, released recently, shows China's gross domestic product reached 69.5704 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.7% calculated at constant prices.
International observers, reading this "report card," have noted the Chinese economy's "strong resilience," "steady performance," and "impressive showings in related industries like artificial intelligence and renewable energy," gaining a clearer sense of its underlying strength, potential, and enhanced confidence in its development prospects.
In the opening year of the 16th Five-Year Plan period, China's economy has withstood pressure to operate within a reasonable range, maintaining an overall stable, innovative, and quality-oriented development trend.
This demonstrates robust resilience and vitality, while also presenting the world with broader market prospects and cooperation opportunities.
In terms of incremental growth, the economic increase for the first half of the year was 3.6 trillion yuan, the largest increase for the same period in the past five years.
Building on an ultra-large base of over 140 trillion yuan and facing multiple external shocks such as volatility in global energy markets and the restructuring of industrial and supply chains, the Chinese economy has continued to advance steadily.
Production and supply have grown relatively quickly, the employment situation has remained generally stable, prices have maintained a mild increase, and the protection of people's livelihoods has been solid and effective, consistently demonstrating development resilience.
Not long ago, the International Monetary Fund released a report that, while lowering its global economic growth forecast for 2026, raised its forecast for China's economic growth by 0.2 percentage points.
This contrast between a downward revision and an upward revision confirms the widespread international optimism regarding China's economic prospects and highlights China's value as a crucial engine for global economic growth.
Observations on New Economic Drivers
The observation by Germany's DPA news agency that "China is increasing support for future industries like artificial intelligence, expecting to cultivate new economic growth points" is clearly reflected in China's economic performance in the first half of the year.
During this period, the value added of China's high-tech manufacturing enterprises above a designated size grew by 13.3% year-on-year.
Industries related to artificial intelligence, such as integrated circuit manufacturing and intelligent vehicle equipment manufacturing, maintained high growth rates exceeding 30%.
New growth drivers represented by high-end manufacturing, the digital economy, and modern services contributed over 40% to economic growth, highlighting a distinct trend of economic structural optimization and upgrading.
Multiple types of commercial rockets were successfully launched, technological research in frontier fields like quantum information, integrated circuits, and nuclear fusion progressed steadily, and the performance of AI large models continued to break through with expanding application scenarios.
China's innovation-driven development consistently adheres to an open and sharing philosophy.
The industrialization and application of cutting-edge technologies not only inject endogenous momentum into its own economic growth but also provide new supplies and solutions for the transformation and upgrading of global industries, fostering collaborative development across the entire global industrial chain.
Openness and Global Market Integration
During this year's FIFA World Cup in North America, Chinese elements were ubiquitous, with Chinese air conditioners, fans, and refrigerators bringing "cool comfort" to consumers in many countries.
In the first half of the year, China's total goods import and export volume reached 25.4686 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.9%, solidifying its position as the world's largest goods trading nation.
On the export side, exports of electromechanical products grew by 20.1%, while exports of high-tech products and self-owned brands increased by 39% and 25.4% respectively.
Chinese manufacturing is transitioning from "quantitative expansion" to "qualitative leap," continuously improving the global supply chain system while providing consumers worldwide with high-quality, cost-effective goods.
On the import side, total goods imports amounted to 10.7372 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%.
China, with its continuously unleashed domestic demand potential, is no longer just the "world's factory" but has also become a "world market" of vast opportunities.
Following China's implementation of zero-tariff measures for 53 African diplomatic partner countries in May, imports from Africa in May and June grew by 23.5% year-on-year.
This serves as a vivid example of how China's opening-up dividends benefit the globe and promote shared development with all parties.
Sustained Attractiveness for Global Investment
In the face of rising anti-globalization sentiment, China's pace of opening up has never stalled, consistently creating opportunities for countries worldwide through its own development.
As the world's second-largest consumer market, largest online retail market, and second-largest import market, China continues to attract the convergence of global resources and factors due to its stable and predictable development environment, complete industrial system, efficient logistics network, and mature industrial supporting capacity.
An increasing number of multinational corporations regard China as a crucial part of their global strategy, enhancing their own global competitiveness while deepening their presence in the Chinese market.
Michael Hildmann, Chief Investment Officer for Equities at Allianz Global Investors, stated that the Chinese market possesses deep potential and abundant innovative vitality, "representing a long-term investment opportunity."
This directly reflects international investors' confidence in China's development.
China's resilient and forward-moving economy, full of vigor and positive momentum, also represents a significant positive factor for global economic recovery.
A China that continuously unleashes its domestic demand potential, gathers innovative and quality-oriented growth drivers, and advances high-level opening up will remain a vital engine for world economic growth.
China will persist in sharing development opportunities with all countries through its own high-quality, sustainable development, promoting strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth in the world economy.
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