Opinion

China is an opportunity, not a "shock"

Since the second half of 2025, some media outlets and scholars in the United States and the West have promoted the narrative of a "China Shock 2.0," claiming that China’s rise in high-tech fields such as new energy and artificial intelligence will have a "more severe impact" on the global economy than the era of traditional manufacturing. This narrative is a continuation and variation of the Cold War mentality, disregarding the enormous dividends and opportunities that China’s development has brought to the world.

The so-called "China Shock 2.0" narrative is logically untenable. It attributes the progress of Chinese industries to "unfair competition" while deliberately ignoring the genuine competitiveness formed through market mechanisms and independent innovation. China’s advancement is not based on the so-called "predatory growth" fabricated by some but stems from the maturity of its innovation ecosystem and the functioning of market principles. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to November 2025, the profits of major high-tech manufacturing enterprises in China increased by 10 percent year-on-year, accelerating by 2 percentage points compared to the January–October period. This growth rate was 9.9 percentage points higher than the average of all major industrial enterprises. This achievement is the result of China’s comprehensive industrial chain system, the world’s largest research and development workforce, continuously increasing R&D investment, and robust competition among enterprises.

The so-called "China Shock 2.0" narrative deliberately overlooks China’s significant contributions to global sustainable development. In the field of green energy, China has become a central force in the global deployment of clean energy. Increasing evidence shows that China is not a "shock" to the world but is helping the global community address the climate crisis and promote equitable development through the export of green technologies. By the end of 2025, China’s installed capacity of renewable energy remained the highest in the world, establishing the largest clean power generation system globally. One out of every three kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in China now comes from green energy sources.

Today, the world needs collaboration rather than confrontation, and shared opportunities rather than zero-sum games. The so-called "China Shock 2.0" is merely a strategic distortion of China’s development. Only by discarding prejudice can one see the truth clearly: China is not a storm but a harbor; not a shock, but an opportunity.

Policy

1. The State Taxation Administration released an updated tax policy guidelines of 90 countries and regions on January 5, revising the tax system information for 85 countries (regions) that have seen significant recent changes, such as the United States and Canada, and adding new guides for 5 countries including Portugal and Chile.

2. China will release over 30 national standards in the data field, the National Data Administration said. This includes establishing a number of data standards in cutting-edge areas such as intelligent agents and embodied intelligence, and accelerating the introduction of urgently needed data standards in areas like public data and high-quality datasets.

Data

1. According to customs statistics, since the launch of the special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, as of December 31, 2025, the import value of zero-tariff goods has reached RMB 420 million. The number of newly registered foreign trade enterprises increased by over 2 times year-on-year to 3,265. In 2025 alone, over 30,000 new foreign trade enterprises were registered, representing a year-on-year growth of more than 40 percent.

2. Latest data from BYD shows that its sales of new electric vehicles in 2025 reached 2.25 million units, a year-on-year increase of 28 percent. This means its sales surpassed Tesla, making it the world's top seller.

3. According to China National Space Administration, China conducted 92 space launches in 2025, setting a new record.

4. Data from China State Railway Group shows that by the end of 2025, the total operating length of railways nationwide reached 165,000 kilometers, including over 50,000 kilometers of high-speed railways. China has built the world’s largest and most advanced high-speed railway network.

5. Statistics from the Manzhouli Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station reveal that the station managed record-breaking traffic at the Manzhouli road port: ‌249,000‌ cross-border freight vehicles with cargo volume reaching ‌2.88 million tons‌ in 2025.

6. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province saw its cargo throughput surpass 1.4 billion tonnes in 2025, ranking first globally in terms of annual cargo throughput for the 17th consecutive year. Its annual container throughput exceeded 43 million TEUs, firmly holding the global third position. The port's capacity was significantly boosted by the robust performance of its two major container terminals and transfer terminal.

7. The Yangtze River trunk line has remained the world's busiest inland waterway in terms of cargo throughput. The annual cargo throughput at ports along the river's trunk line has surged by 71 percent to 4.2 billion tonnes over the past decade, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

8. Data shows that as of December 31, 2025, A-share listed companies distributed over RMB 2.6 trillion in dividends in 2025, a new high.

9. China invested over RMB 1.28 trillion (about USD 182.4 billion) in the construction of water conservancy facilities in 2025, exceeding the trillion-yuan mark for a fourth consecutive year, data from the Ministry of Water Resources shows.

10. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s civil aviation fixed-asset investment reached a new high, with cumulative investment totaling RMB 630 billion over five years. The "10+3" backbone air route network was largely completed, elevating China's civil aviation comprehensive support capabilities to a new level.

(Source: Economic Daily)