[New Thinking Guides a New Journey] A Two-Way Journey Across Mountains and Seas

CCTV.com reports (Xinwen Lianbo): General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the need to steadfastly pursue a mutually beneficial, win-win strategy of opening up and continuously provide new opportunities for the world through China's new development. In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's enormous market is attracting more foreign-invested enterprises to deepen their presence in China and share in its opportunities. Meanwhile, Chinese products, services, technologies and standards are reaching the world at a faster pace, helping countries develop.

Right now, Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producer, is in its cocoa harvest season. More than 10,000 kilometers away in Shanghai, China, this batch of cocoa is making its first appearance at the China International Import Expo with “zero-tariff” status. This year's upgraded Asian and African products zone at the expo also features coffee from Kenya and Ethiopia, cashews from The Gambia, sesame from Sudan and Mali, and pineapples from Benin. These distinctive African products, traveling from afar, are entering the Chinese market at an accelerated pace—a positive result of China's comprehensive implementation of zero tariffs for all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, beginning on May 1 this year.

China's door to opening up will not close; it will only open wider. This is the solemn declaration General Secretary Xi Jinping has made to the world on multiple occasions. He has attended the opening ceremony of the import expo and delivered keynote speeches on numerous occasions, explaining China's consistent position on safeguarding the multilateral trading system and promoting the development of free trade, and announcing a series of major measures to expand China's high-standard opening up. These have pointed the way and provided a continuous source of momentum for advancing universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Data show that in the first three quarters of this year, China's total imports and exports of goods reached 39.94 trillion yuan, up 18.8% year on year, maintaining double-digit growth for six consecutive months. Imports amounted to 16.74 trillion yuan, an increase of 22.3%. Fruit from ASEAN, salmon from the Faroe Islands and olive oil from Italy—more and more “quality goods from around the world” are becoming part of Chinese people's everyday lives. Strong demand from China's advanced manufacturing sector, meanwhile, is driving continued growth in imports of storage components, integrated circuits and aircraft parts. Each order connects industrial chains around the globe.

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's high-standard opening up is bringing China and the world together in an ever closer two-way journey.

From “the movement of goods” to “the movement of people,” this journey brings people into one another's everyday lives. This year, the number of countries granted unilateral visa-free access expanded to 50. Foreign nationals made 11.601 million inbound trips in the third quarter, up 15.6% year on year, with visa-free entries consistently accounting for more than 77%. Visitors' footsteps are extending from the Palace Museum and the Great Wall to thousands of towns and villages, while their suitcases on the journey home are filled with Chinese goods such as drones and clothing inspired by Chinese culture.

From “offering preferential policies” to “establishing rules and institutions,” this journey builds deeper trust. Restrictions on foreign investment access in manufacturing have been “reduced to zero,” the protocol upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to version 3.0 has been signed, and 23 pilot free trade zones are advancing in stages. The Hainan Free Trade Port has operated under its island-wide special customs regime for more than 10 months. The proportion of tariff lines covered by “zero tariffs” has risen from 21% to 74%, while average customs clearance time for imported goods has been cut by 20%.

From “taking products overseas” to “sharing experience,” this journey is about growing together. In the first three quarters, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products grew steadily, accounting for more than 60% of total export value. As goods are sold around the world, Chinese technologies are also taking root, leaving development opportunities in local communities. More than 100 rice varieties from this Chinese seed company have already been introduced in over 30 countries, helping them address the problems of aging varieties, frequent disease and low yields per unit area. In Indonesia, from the Buli Industrial Park in North Maluku Province to the Karawang New Industry City in West Java Province, projects covering the entire battery industrial chain, funded by Chinese battery companies, are moving forward. Technical specifications, quality standards and environmental requirements throughout the industrial chain are fully aligned with the Chinese system.

Today, this two-way journey across mountains and seas continues to unfold. This year, fresh bananas from Peru entered the Chinese market for the first time via the direct “Chancay-Shanghai” shipping route. The route began with the opening of Chancay Port during the 2024 APEC meeting in Lima, shortening the voyage for Peruvian agricultural products to China by more than ten days.

From the import expo's “shared future” to APEC's “building an Asia-Pacific community,” this relay will continue: the stronger the winds and waves, the wider the door must open. Crossing mountains and seas are not just goods, but also an open China's commitment to always move forward together with the world.