Opening-up remains key to nation's growth

In 2013, as China's trade and investment ties with the world continued to grow, Mouhamadou Bassirou Pouye, a Senegalese businessman, made a decision that would reshape his life. Instead of observing China's development from afar, he chose to build his career inside the country.

"I decided to come to China because of its rapid development, economic opportunities, cultural richness and openness to international talent," Pouye said. "Its dynamic environment and growing global influence make it an attractive destination for business, education and cultural exchange."

More than a decade later, what began as a personal journey has evolved into a professional mission. Now serving as the secretary-general of the Yiwu China and Africa Business Council in Zhejiang province, Pouye has spent 12 years facilitating trade and entrepreneurship between China and African countries — a role that mirrors China's broader engagement with the Global South.

For him, reform and opening-up is not an abstract slogan, but a lived reality. "China's opening-up policy, launched in the late 1970s, has been a cornerstone of its economic transformation," Pouye said. "For individuals, this policy has opened doors for entrepreneurs like myself, as well as students and professionals, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration."

With this year's two sessions approaching, Pouye, the secretary-general, expects that economic growth will be high on the agenda, and he said he'd be interested in seeing measures aimed at boosting domestic consumption, supporting private enterprises and stabilizing growth amid global uncertainties.

China is likely to reaffirm its commitment to openness and global cooperation, he added.

The annual two sessions — meetings of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body — are widely viewed as a window into China's policy priorities.

This year's two sessions are scheduled to open this week in Beijing.

The 14th National Committee of the CPPCC closed the 15th session of its standing committee on Monday in Beijing. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the closing meeting and delivered a speech.

Major economic targets, reform measures and social policies are announced, discussed and endorsed during the two sessions, making them an important barometer of the country's development trajectory. At a time when global trade faces fragmentation, rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions, the policy signals from Beijing carry added weight, analysts said.

Over the years, President Xi Jinping has used the annual gatherings to signal key directions in China's evolving reform and opening-up agenda — from expanding market access to strengthening institutional reform and innovation-driven growth.

When joining deliberations with deputies at the third session of the 12th NPC in 2015, Xi called for pursuing a more proactive strategy of opening-up. He also urged efforts to build a more vibrant, open economic system and to develop comprehensive platforms for opening-up along coastal, riverine and border regions.

During discussions with deputies from the Shanghai delegation in 2017,Xi described the development of pilot free trade zones as a strategic move to deepen reform and expand opening-up under new circumstances. He reiterated that China's door will never close, pledging to advance all-around opening-up and continue to liberalize and facilitate trade and investment.

While joining deliberations with Fujian deputies at the country's annual legislative session in 2019, Xi emphasized the need to draw impetus from reform and opening-up, in order to fully unleash the innovative and entrepreneurial vitality of the entire society, and strengthen China's influence and competitiveness amid profound changes unseen in a century.

In 2024, while taking part in deliberations with deputies from Jiangsu province, he said that China would continue to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, and work to cultivate new strengths in higher-level opening-up.

Institutional reforms

Analysts said that today's opening-up is increasingly defined not only by tariff reductions and expanded market access, but also by institutional reforms aimed at enhancing regulatory transparency, policy consistency and long-term predictability.

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that China's approach to reform and opening-up has shifted from passive adaptation to more proactive planning. Reaffirming the importance of reform and opening-up as a fundamental national policy, Zhou said China is likely to continue building a resilient, innovation-driven framework capable of adapting to rapid technological changes, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, in order to support high-quality development.

Zhou emphasized that major economies have a responsibility to uphold openness in the face of ongoing challenges posed by unilateralism and trade protectionism. "China is fostering a more open environment for global cooperation," he said."This openness, in turn, strengthens China's competitiveness."

Dun Zhigang, a researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, pointed to China hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting for the third time this year as further evidence of its continued engagement with regional economic integration.

He said that the decision to hold the meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, carries particular symbolic weight. "As one of China's most dynamic trade hubs and a pioneer of reform and opening-up, the city reflects the country's transition toward higher-level openness and innovation-driven growth."

As the world's second-largest economy, China is leveraging its vast domestic market to deepen reform while expanding international cooperation, Dun said, adding that progress in Chinese modernization will generate fresh opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Jack Perry, chairman of the London-based business community 48 Group, said that his travels across China have shown him how different regions reflect various stages of reform and openness.

"Shanghai represents reform, openness and connection to the world. It is a natural meeting point between China and global capital, ideas and enterprise," Perry said.

He described Guangdong as the place where China's modern transformation began in 1978, and noted that it continues to lead in manufacturing and innovation. He added that Shenzhen has developed into a global technology center in its own right.

"There was a time when China's growth mattered primarily to China. That is no longer the case. Today, when China is strong, the global economy is stronger," Perry said.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn