Firm stance on opening-up wins praise

China, amid growing headwinds, has once again sent a clear message to the world: It will remain committed to high-standard opening-up, an unwavering stance that fuels its own sustained growth and offers the world greater access to its super-sized market, economists and executives said.

Beijing has outlined a clear road map, one that will better align with international economic and trade norms, cultivate more new drivers of foreign trade, and foster a more rewarding climate for foreign investment, with the goal of creating a fertile ground where domestic and overseas businesses alike can thrive, they added.

Their comments came after Chinese policymakers highlighted at a tone-setting meeting last week a steadfast commitment to opening-up as one of eight economic priorities for 2026.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference, which concluded on Thursday, stressed the need to support service exports and actively develop digital and green trade, as well as optimize policies for promoting foreign investment.

Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, told a news conference on Saturday that China "should expand exports while increasing imports, to promote the sustainable development of foreign trade".

The Ministry of Commerce launched the "Big Market for All: Export to China" initiative in November, aimed at boosting imports and providing a new channel for global products to enter the Chinese market.

Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise globally, turning accessible and predictable markets into perhaps "the world's scarcest resources", said Liao Fan, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics.

The World Openness Index registered a marginal decline of 0.05 percent in 2024 compared with the previous year, reflecting drops of 0.34 percent from the figure for 2019 and 5.39 percent from 2008, indicating that global openness remains in a contraction phase.

"Into this breach steps China, particularly with its self-initiated opening-up," Liao said. "For many countries, China's open market represents a counterweight to protectionist currents and a promise of continued participation in global value chains."

China's openness index surged from 0.59 to 0.76 between 1990 and 2024, marking a rise of nearly 30 percent, according to the World Openness Report 2025.

"The level of opening-up and the high acceptance of innovation in China is a good push to speed up our innovation cycles," said Hubert de Haan, senior vice-president of BSH Home Appliances Group Region Greater China.

"With the competencies and capabilities that we gain here, we can also win in other parts of the world," he said. "The market is massive in scale and very diverse, from top-tier cities to lower-tier cities that are also growing in wealth with advanced demands."

By doubling down on its own openness, China helps to keep the gears of globalization turning, according to experts and executives.

Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, said: "It's now widely recognized that the world is facing a backlash against globalization. Amid these challenging circumstances, many are asking whether globalization has come to an end."

However, China is continuously advancing its own high-standard opening-up while actively promoting reform of the WTO, and the goal is to help shape new international economic and trade rules that will allow more economies to equally share the gains of free trade and investment, Zhang added.

The meeting highlighted the need to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, as well as negotiate and sign more regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements.

In the latest step to further open up the world's second-largest economy, despite the fact that certain economies choose to turn inward and erect trade barriers, the Hainan Free Trade Port will launch special customs operations in the island province later this week.

Shirley Zhao, president of Astellas China, said, "We firmly believe that China's unwavering commitment to advancing high-level opening-up will bring multinational corporations more opportunities and new growth potential."