Chinese economy hits 14-trillion-yuan milestone, boosting confidence in world development

A humanoid robot puts stationery into a pencil case at a data collection and training ground for humanoid robots in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. (Photo/Zhang Jingang)

On Jan. 19, China unveiled its economic performance in 2025: the economy surpassed the 140-trillion-yuan ($20.11 trillion) mark for the first time, with GDP growing by 5.0 percent year-on-year. It is estimated that China contributed around 30 percent to global economic growth.

Amid complex changes both at home and abroad, China's economy has maintained steady growth, improved structure, and renewed momentum—fully reflecting its resilience and capacity to navigate challenges. This stability injects greater certainty and creates new opportunities for the world economy.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's economy successively reached 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan, 130 trillion yuan, and 140 trillion yuan. Achieving these consecutive "10-trillion-yuan" milestones highlights the underlying strength and adaptability of the Chinese economy in facing the challenges of the times.

A foreign media outlet noted that the Chinese economy has withstood pressure in a complex and changing environment, and described it as positive news for the world economy during a difficult period that China, an economy of such massive scale, has met its growth target.

What does China's economic leap mean for the world? The ongoing World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland serves as a great example.

The meeting, themed "A Spirit of Dialogue," focuses not only on diagnosing challenges but also on exploring innovative solutions that will shape the future. To that end, the organizers have outlined key priorities: "How can we cooperate in a more contested world?" "How can we unlock new sources of growth?" "How can we better invest in people?" "How can we deploy innovation at scale and responsibly?" and "How can we build prosperity within planetary boundaries?"

Understanding these global concerns leads to better understanding the significance of China's confidence and opportunities—China's new endeavors and advances are offering fresh perspectives and setting examples to address common challenges faced by nations worldwide. As noted by a British media outlet, China defines what true growth means.

Photo shows an intelligent workshop of a home textile company in Suqian, east China's Jiangsu province. (Photo/Xu Jianghai)

In 2025, China's research and development spending intensity reached 2.8 percent, exceeding the average of economies in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the first time. Value-added from digital product manufacturing grew by 9.3 percent year on year. Major achievements emerged in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and brain-computer interface. Meanwhile, new energy vehicles accounted for over 50 percent of domestic new car sales.

The continuous growth of new quality productive forces has supported China's economy in achieving both "quantitative expansion" and "qualitative improvement," while also offering valuable insights for other countries that seek new growth drivers. Notably, nearly half of the names on the World Economic Forum's MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions) list released on Jan. 19 were from China.

In 2025, China's opening-up strides grew even more resolute. The Hainan Free Trade Port launched island-wide special customs operations. Total goods import and export value grew by 3.8 percent against headwinds, with imports reaching a new high of 18.5 trillion yuan, providing vast market space for countries worldwide.

Despite rising unilateralism and protectionism, an open China remains steadfast and dynamic, playing a key role in maintaining stable and smooth global industrial and supply chains and promoting deeper economic globalization during challenging times.

In 2025, China's per capita disposable income rose by 5.0 percent in real terms, keeping pace with economic growth. Positive progress was made in areas such as elderly care, childcare, and health care. Various regions continued to innovate consumption scenarios and improve the consumption environment, with vibrant developments in culture, tourism, entertainment, and sports sectors.

A woman shops at a duty-free mall in Haikou, south China's Hainan province, Jan. 19. (Photo/Yang He)

By ensuring and improving people's well-being through development, and expanding development space by meeting livelihood needs, China has demonstrated in a tangible way that "investing in people" not only reflects the core values of modernization but also creates new economic potential and unlocks further growth.

China's economic leap to the 140-trillion-yuan milestone—imbued with innovation, sustainability, and forward-looking dynamism—delivers a powerful boost of confidence to the world and opens up new prospects for future-oriented cooperation.

As China embarks on the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the grand blueprint for its economic and social development over the coming five years presents the world with what can be called a "menu of opportunities."

By staying committed to high-quality development and high-standard opening up, China will inject greater stability and fresh momentum into the global landscape, fostering shared progress and a future of common prosperity.