Multiple trade and economic exchanges highlight commitment to cooperation

China continues to strengthen economic and trade exchanges with other countries despite growing unilateralism and protectionism from certain Western countries, with multiple events held overseas recently including the UK, Brazil and Germany to promote trade cooperation.

The 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo UK roadshow was held in London on Wednesday (UK time), according to a domestic news site people.cn reported on Thursday.

Yu Jianlong, vice-president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said in his speech that China and the UK are expanding cooperation in sectors including financial services, clean energy, and artificial intelligence, with new cooperation models and growth points continuously emerging. During the roadshow, multiple UK companies, including Standard Chartered and AstraZeneca, signed letters of intent to attend the expo in July, according to the report.

In addition, organized by the government of East China's Shandong Province, a Conference on Economic and Commercial Exchange and Cooperation was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday, attracting more than 300 officials and business representatives from both countries, China News Service reported on Thursday.

In Sao Paulo, Shandong reached trade and investment cooperation intention agreements in sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, green development, and low-carbon emissions, according to the report.

From March 4 to 7 (German time), Zhou Hongbo, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Nanjing Municipal Committee, in East China's Jiangsu Province, led a delegation to Germany for the "Visit Germany, Choose Nanjing" business events, during which they held economic and trade cooperation promotions to advance key projects and attract new investments, according to the Nanjing government website.

The strengthened economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries came as China stressed its firm commitment to expanding high-standard opening-up and stabilizing foreign trade and foreign investment during the just-concluded two sessions.

"Regardless of changes in the external environment, we should remain steadfast in our commitment to opening-up," said the Government Work Report. "We should steadily expand institutional opening-up and take the initiative to open wider and advance unilateral opening-up in a well-ordered way, to promote reform and development through greater openness."

"Taking the initiative to open wider and advancing unilateral opening-up reflect China's increased confidence and represent an important mark in the country's high-level opening-up," Wei Jianguo, former vice-minister of commerce and executive deputy director of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, told the Global Times on Thursday.

With the global eastward shift of talent, capital and technology, not only China's coastal regions but central and western regions are likely to attract more foreign enterprises, Wei said.

Ning Feng, president of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), said at a roadshow for the 8th China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Thursday that more than 220,000 square meters of exhibition space has already been reserved, accounting for more than 60 percent of the planned exhibition space, fully showcasing the confidence in China's economic development and enthusiasm in the expo of all parties, according to media reports.

As of the end of 2024, the cumulative number of foreign-invested enterprises in China stood at approximately 1.24 million, with the actual use of foreign capital reaching 20.6 trillion yuan ($2.85 trillion). In 2024, nearly 60,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China, up 9.9 percent year-on-year, official data showed.

"Statistics show that China remains an ideal destination for foreign investment, and many foreign companies are optimistic about China's growth prospects," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

Partnering with China will bring more opportunities. No matter how the external environment may evolve, China remains firmly committed to high-standard opening up and always welcomes companies from all countries to keep investing in China and explore the Chinese market to enjoy benefits and development together, Mao said.

"As a major trading partner of over 140 countries and regions, China's commitment to opening-up, increasing imports of high-quality goods and services, attracting foreign investment and fostering an open business environment will continue to drive China's economic growth," Ahmed Moustafa, director of the Asia Center for Studies and Translation in Egypt, told the Global Times.

The country's greater market, comprehensive industrial support system, abundant labor force and talent pool provide unique advantages that can drive economic growth and enhance global cooperation, Moustafa said.

Despite external challenges, China's foreign trade demonstrated a solid performance, structural improvement, and resilience in the first two months of 2025, with exports up 3.4 percent year-on-year to 3.88 trillion yuan.

"Compared with other countries, China's foreign trade has unique characteristics - relatively complete industrial chains and a huge domestic market - ensuring that the country's foreign trade maintains strong resilience and potential amid the complex international situation in 2025," Wei said.