Seventy-five years ago, the foreign trade of the newly established People's Republic of China was tasked with the historical mission of "developing production and revitalizing the economy," starting with great difficulty amidst the blockade and suppression by Western countries.

Through 75 years of trials and tribulations, the Chinese nation is on the cusp of a great leap from standing up, becoming prosperous, to growing strong. China's position in the global economic and trade landscape is now incomparable to what it once was.

From a mere $11.35 billion in total import and export value in 1950, to reaching $5.94 trillion in 2023—facing a myriad of complex internal and external challenges, China's total volume of goods trade has been the world's number one for seven consecutive years. It has established a series of widely welcomed international cooperation platforms and is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic governance system.

The level of trade has achieved a historic leap.

At the Yangshan Port in Shanghai, cargo ships laden with special products from various countries dock one after another, with imported goods making the daily lives of the Chinese people more abundant; at the Horgos Port in Xinjiang, trains filled with "Made in China" products head west, with exported goods offering people in other countries more high-quality and cost-effective consumption options...

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Foreign trade has become one of the main drivers of China's economic growth and has a profound impact on the development pattern of the world economy.

Looking back along the timeline and into the depths of history, one can better appreciate the hard-won achievements of China's foreign trade development: in 1950, China's total import and export value was only $11.35 billion, with over 80% of export commodities being primary products. The country could only earn foreign exchange through grain exports and purchase scarce industrial equipment and raw materials from abroad. At that time, China had a low position and lacked advantages in the international trade market, not to mention having a say.

As the years passed and the tides of change rose and fell, after 75 years of relentless effort, China has become a trade powerhouse worthy of the name.

Data can most directly showcase China's role and position in today's global trade pattern.

The trade volume continues to grow—In 2023, China's total import and export volume reached $5.94 trillion, with exports at $3.38 trillion, accounting for 14.2% of the international market share, maintaining the global first position for 15 consecutive years; imports were $2.56 trillion, accounting for 10.6% of the international market share, maintaining the global second position for 15 consecutive years; in the first half of this year, China's foreign trade exceeded 21 trillion yuan for the first time, setting a new record for scale; since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's foreign trade has grown by nearly 1.6 trillion yuan annually, equivalent to the annual import and export total of a medium-sized country.The trade structure continues to optimize—The passive situation of exporting a large amount of primary products in exchange for industrial goods imports has long been reversed, with high technology, high value-added, and green products leading the global market; in 2023, the combined export of the "new three" products (electric vehicles, lithium batteries, solar panels) reached 1.06 trillion yuan, with a growth of nearly 30%; new business forms are thriving, with a 15.6% increase in cross-border e-commerce imports and exports throughout the year.

Trade partners become more diverse—The trade relations between China and emerging markets are becoming increasingly close, and the trade structure is becoming more balanced. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's high-standard free trade zone network has continued to expand, with trade volume with free trade partners accounting for about one-third of the total foreign trade. In 2023, China's imports and exports to countries participating in the "Belt and Road" initiative increased to 46.6%, with imports and exports to Latin America and Africa increasing by 6.8% and 7.1% respectively.

Expanding openness creates more opportunities for the world

On September 8, the "Special Administrative Measures for the Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2024 Edition)" was released, and China's restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector have been "zeroed out," taking another important step forward in expanding high-level open to the outside world.

Openness is a distinctive mark of contemporary China, creating the development miracle of China's economy and achieving China's significant influence in the world economy.

Looking back, China's economy has taken off by integrating into the world. Looking forward, China will also focus on the internal needs of high-quality economic development, promote the construction of an open world economy with high-level openness, and promote countries around the world to make the development cake bigger and the sharing mechanism more solid.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has implemented the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" with high quality, actively docked with international high-standard economic and trade rules such as the "Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement," continued to reduce the negative list of foreign investment access, continuously innovated the foreign investment management system, and steadily promoted the construction of pilot free trade zones and Hainan Free Trade Port, making the business environment more stable, transparent, and predictable.

Faced with the common desire of countries around the world to strengthen international cooperation, China has proposed the "Belt and Road" initiative, using "national landmarks," "livelihood projects," and "cooperation monuments" to rejuvenate the ancient trade channels with new vitality and energy.

Faced with the eager expectation of global companies to share the great opportunities of the Chinese market, the China International Import Expo has built a bridge for companies from all over the world to enter the vast Chinese market, continuously narrowing the distance between China and the world. The seventh session will be held this year. From the century-old stores that have lasted for a long time to the innovative companies that are at the forefront of the trend, from the world's top 500 companies with strong strength to the small and medium-sized enterprises with exquisite products, exhibitors from all countries are competing to showcase their corporate competitiveness at the Import Expo, exploring the possibility of cooperation, and making the Chinese market a "world market, a shared market, and everyone's market" become an international consensus.

A China that does not stop reforming and opening up is embracing the world with a more proactive, open, and inclusive attitude, promoting the healthy development of economic globalization, and creating more opportunities for the international community.Actively Participating in Global Economic Governance

Let's go back in time to November 10, 2001, at the Sheraton Hotel in Doha, Qatar, in the Salwa Conference Hall, as the gavel of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), chaired by Kamel, came down, the meeting officially passed the decision for China to join the WTO.

As the largest developing country in the world, China's accession has made the WTO more complete and representative, a move in line with the trend of history and a strong impetus to the historical current.

The tide of globalization surges forward, but there is also "backlash resistance." Unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying are rampant, and the WTO faces a series of severe challenges.

The multilateral trading system centered on the WTO is the cornerstone of economic globalization and free trade. The challenges faced by the WTO are a concentrated manifestation of the challenges to the world economy. The call for reform of the WTO is the inevitable direction for the healthy development of economic globalization.

As China's influence in the global economic and trade landscape grows, China continues to make its "voice" heard, propose "solutions," and make "contributions" in the reform process of the WTO and other global economic governance systems, continuously enhancing its say in international trade rules.

When unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying are rampant, seriously threatening the effectiveness and authority of the multilateral trading system and undermining the prospects for the development of economic globalization, China stands firmly on the right side of history, adheres to the general direction of economic globalization, and clearly advocates for free trade and genuine multilateralism. It maintains the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system centered on the WTO and actively promotes the normal operation of the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism.

Faced with the reality that many developing countries are marginalized in the process of economic globalization, China insists that global economic governance should be based on equality and better reflect the new realities of the world economic landscape. With a more proactive historical responsibility and creative spirit, China fully participates in the reform of the WTO and the adjustment of international trade rules, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and ensuring equal rights, opportunities, and rules for all countries in international economic cooperation.

Standing at a new historical starting point, China will continue to play the role of a responsible major country, create new and greater opportunities for the world, promote the global economic governance system towards a more inclusive and balanced development, and work with all countries to create a better future for humanity.