China's dual forums highlight its role as global stabilizing force

Humanoid robots are seen at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 in Qionghai, south China's Hainan province, March 24, 2026. (Photo/Meng Zhongde)

In March, China hosted two major international forums, the China Development Forum 2026 in Beijing and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 in Hainan province.

From Beijing to Hainan, both gatherings sent a clear message: despite global turbulence, China remains steadfast in pursuing high-standard opening up and innovation-driven development, serving as an anchor of stability for worldwide growth.

Attendees at both forums recognized China's clear developmental direction through its outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), identifying substantial opportunities for deeper engagement with the Chinese market. Participants particularly noted China's exceptional capacity for reliable long-term planning and consistent goal achievement.

Corporate responses demonstrated concrete confidence: PepsiCo noted that China's outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly places expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption high on its agenda, a priority that aligns closely with the group's business focus. Mercedes-Benz, for its part, announced plans to launch dozens of new products in China over the next two years.

A long-term perspective and unwavering strategic commitment underpin the certainty of China's development.

The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds clear strategic goals and policy priorities, including the comprehensive implementation of an "AI Plus" initiative, the smart, digital and connected upgrade of manufacturing, greater integration of investment in infrastructure and human capital, as well as coordinated progress in carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion and growth.

Turning its blueprint into tangible reality step by step, China's development follows a sustained, long-term and forward-looking trajectory.

China's "stability" is not about isolating itself from the world, but about advancing through openness, coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Its "progress" is not about unilateral gains, but about empowering others and moving forward together.

Zafar Uddin Mahmood, press adviser of the Boao Forum for Asia Secretariat, noted that China has evolved from the "world's factory" into a global innovation hub, leading in areas such as renewable energy, green development, and AI, while benefiting countries worldwide.

Numerous cooperation cases support this observation. Riding the wave of China's manufacturing transformation, Michelin's plant in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning province, has integrated AI and machine vision into production and was selected as one of the World Economic Forum's latest "Lighthouse Factories."

Photo shows a workshop of a factory of Michelin in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning province. (Photo provided by Michelin China)

Meanwhile, benefiting from China's expanding renewable energy system, over 90 percent of Apple's production in China is now powered by clean energy, directly supporting its global carbon neutrality goals.

From innovation-driven growth to green transformation, China continues to create new opportunities for cooperation and expand win-win outcomes.

Given the sluggish global growth, as well as rising unilateralism and protectionism, China remains committed to openness, inclusiveness, and the vision of a shared future, and continues to promote the building of an open world economy.

The island-wide special customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port stands exemplifies China's efforts to advance institutional opening up. In 2025, China's trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership reached 13.85 trillion yuan ($2 trillion), up 5.3 percent year on year, adding resilience and vitality to Asia-Pacific industrial and supply chains.

According to the Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2026 released at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, China's role as a "stabilizing anchor" in the region continues to grow, playing a key part in connecting diverse markets and global value chains, while providing fresh momentum for global economic growth.

As a Chinese proverb goes, "A single tree does not make a forest; a single string cannot make music." China, steadfastly advancing along the path of Chinese modernization, will continue to act as a stabilizing anchor in a turbulent world, adding momentum to regional prosperity and injecting confidence into global development.