China Has Always Been a Stable, Reliable, and Positive Force in a World of Turbulence (Focus on the 2026 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference)

March 24th, the Boao Asia Forum 2026 Annual Conference, themed “Shaping a Shared Future: New Trends, New Opportunities, New Cooperation,” arrived as scheduled. Discussing development opportunities, seeking unity and cooperation, and pursuing mutual benefits—against the backdrop of escalating global geopolitical conflicts, sluggish world economic recovery, and rising unilateralism, this year’s forum was highly anticipated.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Boao Asia Forum and the first annual conference held after the full island operation of Hainan Free Trade Port. The international community looks forward to discovering more cooperation opportunities through the forum. Participants believe that China has always been a stable, reliable, and proactive force in a turbulent world. A stable and progressing China will undoubtedly inject continuous certainty and positive energy into the world.

China’s Stability as a “Stability Anchor” in a Centenary of Change

Faced with unpredictable international developments and various risks and challenges, China’s economy has maintained steady growth, moving towards new and better development, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. Participants highly praise China’s role as a “stability anchor.”

Danièle Palotai, Deputy Governor of the Hungarian National Bank, said, “China’s economic growth makes an important contribution to the world, and we are fully confident in the prospects of cooperation with China.”

The “Asia Economic Outlook and Integration Process 2026 Annual Report” released at this year’s conference listed China as a “leading” country in Asian artificial intelligence development. The report pointed out that several Asian economies, including China, have elevated artificial intelligence to a national strategic level, with complete industrial bases and highly autonomous technological ecosystems. China not only promotes domestic AI applications but will also play an important role in regional and global AI development in the future.

Rebecca Maria, former Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat and Director of the Malaysia Institute of Democracy and Economics, said, “The signing and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) reflect the commitment of regional countries to openness amid trade uncertainties. The core value of the agreement is inclusiveness, bringing together developed and developing economies within the same framework. China plays a vital supporting role in regional economic cooperation.”

Sima Zhe, Senior Economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, believes that Asia is now not only a birthplace of technological innovation but also a conduit for delivering innovation results worldwide. “From solar panels to electric vehicles and new infrastructure construction, China continues to innovate and contribute to Asia’s green and sustainable development.”

China’s Role in Conveying a “Win-Win” Vision of High-Level Opening Up

Resilience is a frequently mentioned word at this forum.

Robert Koopman, former Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization and professor at the University of Maryland, noted that global trade volume increased significantly last year, demonstrating strong resilience. “One important reason is China’s continued promotion of trade and economic cooperation with emerging markets.”

The list of trade and economic cooperation continues to grow, with steady expansion of institutional openness and development dividends. Progress is being made in autonomous and unilateral opening, with efforts to stabilize foreign trade; import and export volumes are stable and improving, with export growth at 6.1%. New measures to stabilize foreign investment have been introduced, with a 19.1% increase in newly established foreign-invested enterprises. The 2025 China openness “report card” demonstrates China’s firm resolve and sincerity to further expand high-level opening up.

Kiril Babayev, Director of the Chinese and Modern Asian Studies Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that high-level openness provides broad space for Russia-China pragmatic cooperation.

Holge Binman, Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, said China’s 14th Five-Year Plan focuses on cultivating new drivers of growth, sharing innovation results with the world, and empowering global development. Europe needs to strengthen connectivity with China more than ever. The full operation of Hainan Free Trade Port has attracted European companies, making Hainan an important hub for Chinese enterprises entering Europe.

Looking at China through Boao, more multinational companies are attracted by the continuously optimized foreign investment environment and the enormous market scale. In March, Novartis announced it would continue to increase investment in China, expanding R&D, manufacturing, and operations. AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced this month that it will establish a cell therapy commercialization and supply base and an innovation center in Shanghai, and build a radiopharmaceutical production and supply base in Guangzhou. AstraZeneca’s Global Executive Vice President Yin Sirui said, “In January, AstraZeneca announced over 100 billion RMB investment in China, and we are accelerating cooperation and investment in China.”

China’s Strategy: The “14th Five-Year Plan” Sends an Invitation for Common Modernization

Certainty is increasingly a scarce resource in the international community. China, with a stable and predictable development path, sends a strong message of “unswerving commitment to doing its own thing” to the world.

“This year’s Chinese Government Work Report and the ‘14th Five-Year Plan’ outline demonstrate China’s strong strategic resolve and development continuity amid complex external environments. Such stable policy expectations, clear development goals, and persistent reform efforts are very valuable sources of certainty for enterprises,” said Zhai Jingli, Vice President of Jin Guang Group’s APP.

The “14th Five-Year Plan” is not only a blueprint for promoting Chinese-style modernization but also an “invitation letter” for China to work with other countries toward common modernization.

The world can further enjoy the dividends of China’s super-large market—

The “14th Five-Year Plan” proposes to “improve the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation” and “strengthen the coordination of imports and exports, balancing goods and services.” Pedro Sosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, believes that China has become the world’s second-largest consumer market, which presents huge opportunities for many countries. Strengthening dialogue, maintaining stable trade, and actively promoting regional integration are essential.

Emerging fields will offer more investment opportunities for multinational companies—

Dapeng Dai, Co-CEO of Roland Berger Global Management, said that China’s achievements in green technology, electric vehicles, digital AI, and high-value-added services in recent years have injected new momentum into global innovation and competition, promoting sustained industry development. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China’s firm commitment to technological innovation will help it reach a leading position in frontier fields.

“Italy’s former Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Michele Gerraci, commented positively on the ‘14th Five-Year Plan,’ believing that China will continue to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with countries worldwide and offer more opportunities for foreign investors during this period.”

The enthusiastic discussion of the “14th Five-Year Plan” blueprint at the Boao Asia Forum 2026 sends a clear signal to the world: in an uncertain world, China’s certainty is the most valuable resource. Walking with China is walking with opportunity.

(People’s Daily reporters Liu Ge, Liu Juanxi, Zhao Xiaoxi, Zhai Qinqi, and He Yuche contributed to the reporting.)