China

打开长江经济带高质量可持续发展之窗

Guangming Daily | Local Language | News | Jan. 8, 2026 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

Since 2016, China has prioritized the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt as a key strategy for achieving high-quality, sustainable development. Guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping’s vision, the initiative emphasizes ecological protection alongside economic growth, focusing on long-term benefits for the nation. Efforts have led to significant environmental improvement, with the proportion of good-quality water rising from 67% to 96.5%, an increase in the region’s GDP share from 42.2% to 47.3%, and residents' per capita income nearly doubling over the past decade.

The approach balances ecological preservation with economic advancement by addressing challenges such as industrial pollution and transforming traditional industries through green technologies and innovation. Notable examples include the environmental cleanup and modernization of polluting enterprises like Chuyuan Group and the emergence of resource-based cities like Yibin and Changzhou as leaders in green industrial development. The region is now advancing policies that promote carbon reduction, pollution control, and green space expansion, supported by a growing green electricity share and leading green factories.

China also focuses on shifting from old economic drivers to new ones by fostering scientific and technological innovation tailored to local conditions. Investments in research, exemplified by Hefei’s Science Island, and upgrading traditional industries with new technologies are key elements. Provinces like Anhui have achieved significant economic milestones by cultivating new industrial clusters and aligning innovation with industrial development, contributing to China’s rising global innovation ranking during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

Coordinated regional development is pursued through integrated governance frameworks that transcend administrative boundaries, promoting unified planning, market operations, regulations, and public services. Successful models such as the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone illustrate this “six ones” approach, fostering ecological and economic symbiosis. Interprovincial cooperation, for example between Sichuan and Chongqing or eastern provinces aiding western regions like Qinghai, exemplifies collaborative strategies to enhance ecological protection and shared prosperity. These efforts align with broader national development plans aiming to create complementary, stable, and high-quality economic growth across the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Xinhua | English | News | Jan. 8, 2026 | Shifting Geopolitical Alliances

China advocates a cooperation-based security approach focused on mutual respect and shared security, contrasting with traditional military alliances and confrontational strategies. This vision, encapsulated in Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), promotes common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, emphasizing that national security is interconnected and best ensured through diplomatic consultation and inclusive multilateralism.

Since unveiling the GSI in 2022, China has gained support from over 120 countries and organizations and has played active roles in mediating conflicts. Notable examples include facilitating the 2023 Saudi-Iran reconciliation, advocating political resolutions in Ukraine, and hosting talks to encourage Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Complementing these efforts, China’s economic initiatives like the Global Development Initiative and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) address root causes of instability by promoting development and connectivity, especially in vulnerable regions.

Regional partnerships further anchor this cooperative security model, as seen at the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, where Eurasian leaders endorsed unity and rejected zero-sum geopolitics. Kazakhstan, notably, has leveraged the BRI to enhance regional infrastructure and trade, with bilateral trade between China and Central Asian countries nearing $95 billion in 2024, fostering economic stability and reducing extremism.

China’s approach treats security as a collective endeavor necessary for tackling transnational challenges such as nuclear risks, pandemics, and climate threats. Despite challenges from geopolitical rivalries and mistrust, ongoing dialogue and partnership efforts demonstrate that cooperation-based security is moving beyond theory into practical application. For countries large and small, including Kazakhstan, this model offers a pragmatic path toward reducing conflict, promoting development, and building a stable and equitable international order amid global uncertainties.

Peoples Daily | English | News | Jan. 8, 2026 | UndeterminedTrade Issues and Numbers

Linyi Trade City in Shandong Province has transformed from a domestic wholesale market into a significant international trade hub, connecting Chinese manufacturers with global buyers. From January to November 2025, the market hosted 90 events for international buyers, attracting 44,500 foreign purchasing trips—a 47.85% year-over-year increase—with intended transactions totaling approximately 23.67 billion yuan (3.39 billion U.S. dollars).

Local entrepreneurs, like Geng Yanzhou of Shandong Haoduobao Supply Chain Co., Ltd., have leveraged Linyi’s efficient sourcing and logistics to expand their business models internationally, opening "variety stores" in regions such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These stores, selling affordable goods, have quickly turned profitable and serve as demonstrations of Linyi’s trade potential.

Linyi’s modern logistics city hosts over 1,700 freight companies and functions as a crucial Eurasian trade node. Shandong Linmanou International Logistics Co., Ltd. has expanded its fleet operating under the TIR system, enabling faster road transport—cutting delivery time to Moscow to under 10 days, compared to over 20 days by rail. Additionally, the new Lantian North International Automobile City, repurposed from the former Jinlan logistics base, exports around 900 refurbished used vehicles monthly to over 20 countries across several continents.

Supporting these developments, the Shandong Provincial Government introduced guidelines in late 2025 to elevate Linyi Trade City as a key strategic hub aligned with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030. The plan prioritizes internationalization and digitalization to enhance global market access, digital infrastructure, and modern logistics, aiming for sustained, high-quality growth.