Make positive contributions to promoting world economic recovery
The gross domestic product exceeded 27 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%; the total value of import and export of goods trade increased by 10.7% year-on-year, and the actual use of foreign capital increased by 25.6% year-on-year, both continuing double-digit growth; foreign direct investment in the whole industry was 217.76 billion yuan , an increase of 5.6% year-on-year, of which non-financial direct investment in countries along the "Belt and Road" increased by 19% year-on-year... China's first quarter economic data shows that China's national economy continues to recover and develop, and foreign trade and foreign investment continue to improve, highlighting that China It has made positive contributions to stabilizing the global industrial chain and supply chain and promoting the sustained recovery of the world economy.
International people interviewed by this reporter believe that China's economy has strong resilience and vitality, and the fundamentals of long-term improvement will not change.
China's expansion of high-level opening to the outside world and the promotion of high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" continue to achieve tangible results, which will continue to boost confidence in global economic recovery and jointly build an open world economy.
"Attractiveness to foreign capital will be further enhanced"
The absorption of foreign capital is a window to observe a country's level of openness, and it is also a barometer that reflects a country's economic vitality.
In the first quarter of this year, China's actual use of foreign capital was 379.87 billion yuan.
Among them, investment in high-tech industries increased rapidly, reaching 132.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 52.9%.
In Hainan, the free trade port policy has been gradually implemented. A few days ago, the key projects of the Hainan Free Trade Port in 2022 (the first batch) were signed, and major foreign-invested projects such as biomedicine were unveiled. In Beijing, benefiting from the comprehensive demonstration of the expansion and opening of the national service industry The construction of the zone and the pilot free trade zone has accelerated, the high-tech transnational investment has continued to increase, and the investment in the digital economy has grown significantly...
Tang Zhimin, director of the China-ASEAN Research Center at the Chia Tai School of Management in Thailand, said that the steady increase in quantity and quality and a better structure are the notable features of China's attracting foreign investment.
In the process of high-quality economic development and continuous high-level opening-up, China has continuously promoted the optimization and upgrading of its industrial structure, bringing more new opportunities for foreign capital to flow to high-tech industries.
According to a recent report released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in China, 71% of German-funded companies and over 60% of US-funded companies plan to increase investment in China.
In the first quarter, BMW Group increased its capital by 27.9 billion yuan. Zipse, chairman of BMW Group, said that China is one of the most important innovation markets in the world. BMW has established the largest R&D system in China except Germany. Zhangjiagang started two new factories.
The sustained and steady growth of China's economy will bring more opportunities, and BMW is always optimistic about the development prospects of the Chinese market.
Zvonimir Stopic, an assistant professor at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia, believes that China scientifically coordinates epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, continues to optimize the business environment, and releases more policy dividends. Foreign companies are generally optimistic about China Economic development prospects and broad market opportunities.
Mao Xuxin, chief economist of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in the United Kingdom, said that China will unswervingly deepen reform and expand opening up, reduce the negative list of foreign investment access year by year, implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, and expand the scope of encouraging foreign investment. The development of enterprises in China continues to create favorable conditions and a favorable environment.
"The open, inclusive and diversified Chinese market will be more attractive to foreign investment."
"Continuing to make new progress in the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road'"
In the first quarter, China's total imports and exports to countries along the "Belt and Road" totaled 2.93 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.7%, accounting for 31.1% of my country's total foreign trade imports and exports, and the proportion increased by 1.4 percentage points compared with last year; "The newly-signed contract value of contracted projects in countries along the route was 24.64 billion US dollars, and the completed turnover was 15.97 billion US dollars, accounting for 52% and 55.1% of the total in the same period respectively.
Last year, the Belgian port of Antwerp continued to achieve a total throughput of over 12 million TEUs.
As the second largest port in Europe, the Port of Antwerp has always been operating at a high level during the epidemic prevention and control period, and many data have maintained growth.
Recently, the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Zeebrugge, another major Belgian port, were officially merged into the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, becoming the largest export port, largest automobile port and largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe.
Antwerp Deputy Mayor Utters said that Antwerp is an important city along the "Belt and Road".
During the epidemic prevention and control period, the cargo transportation between ports and China remained stable and smooth, "not only providing important support for European epidemic prevention and control and economic recovery, but also playing an active role in maintaining the stability of regional and global industrial and supply chains."
In 2021, the trade volume between China and the EU will exceed US$800 billion for the first time. Two-way investment will make steady progress, with a cumulative scale of more than US$270 billion. Trade in aerospace, biology, optoelectronics, electronics and other fields has grown significantly.
Ivica Bakota, assistant professor at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia, said that with the continuous advancement of the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" initiative, all parties have invested and cooperated in high-tech, green and low-carbon, innovative industries and other fields. The continuous closeness will bring more new development opportunities to the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road", including the Central and Eastern European countries.
Last year, the trade volume between China and Latin America exceeded US$450 billion, a year-on-year increase of 41.1% and a record high. China continued to maintain its position as the second largest trading partner of Latin America.
Argentine economist Souardi said that Chinese banks in Latin America have played an important role in promoting bilateral trade cooperation and direct investment.
With the deepening of cooperation between Argentina and China under the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the export volume of Argentina's soybeans and other major products has increased significantly, which has effectively promoted the country's economic development.
Ignacio Martínez, a researcher at the Center for International Relations of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" is highly consistent with the goals of increasing infrastructure investment in Latin America. Helping countries in the region to build a new development vision.”
"It will bring greater confidence and strength to global economic growth in the post-epidemic era"
In the first quarter, both imports and exports between China and its major trading partners increased.
During the same period, China's imports and exports to its Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trading partners increased by 6.9%.
Frederic Bardan, CEO of Belgian Cybex China-Europe Business Consulting Company, said: "China's economy has great potential, resilience and vitality, which not only attracts global investors to invest and start businesses in China, but also provides a broader market for other countries. Opportunities will also provide strong momentum for the stabilization and recovery of the world economy.”
A few days ago, the opening ceremony of the new western land-sea passage "RCEP-Beibu Gulf Port-Henan" two-way rail-sea combined transportation was held simultaneously in Qinzhou, Guangxi and Luohe, Henan.
This marks the first expansion of the new western land-sea corridor from western China to Henan, a central province, further enriching the transportation channels for goods and raw materials for the markets of RCEP member countries.
In the first quarter, more than 170,000 TEUs of containerized cargo were sent by the rail-sea intermodal trains of the new western land-sea channel, a year-on-year increase of 56.5%.
Stephen Ndegwa, head of the South-South Cooperation Think Tank in Kenya, said that against the backdrop of repeated global epidemics and difficult recovery of the world economy, China's economy has maintained a momentum of continuous recovery, continued to expand high-level opening up, and effectively promoted the development of regional economic and trade cooperation. Bring more stability to the uncertain global economy.
Yasser Masood, a researcher in world economics and politics at the National Defense University of Pakistan, said that in the face of the challenge of the epidemic, China has successfully maintained a stable supply to domestic and foreign markets.
As an important participant in the global industrial chain and supply chain, China has accelerated the construction of a new development pattern and focused on promoting high-quality development, which "will bring greater confidence and strength to global economic growth in the post-epidemic era."
Morocco's former Minister of Economy and Finance Valalou said that as the main stabilizer and power source of world economic growth, China has comprehensive competitive advantages such as strong economic governance, comprehensive industrial system and large market space, and can achieve sustainable and healthy economic development.
Looking forward to the future, China's high-quality economic development has bright prospects, and the Chinese market is full of opportunities, which will inject more positive energy into the recovery of the world economy.
(Reporters Yang Yi, Liu Hui, Huang Peizhao, Cheng Shijie, Xie Yahong, Yan Yunming, Bi Mengying, Peng Min from our newspaper in Beijing, Bangkok, Cairo, Islamabad, Rome, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City on May 1)
"People's Daily" (May 02, 2022 Edition 03)