China a linchpin in evolving world order

Foreign leaders' recent visits to China and the nation's hosting of major diplomatic events this year represent a growing consensus among countries in advancing win-win growth in the face of unilateralism, lingering geopolitical tensions and global trade friction, said veteran officials and scholars.

The policy experts are attending the annual two sessions in Beijing as members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Since the beginning of this year, leaders of several major Western countries, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have visited China.

Yang Guangbin, dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said the timing of these visits reflects the transformation happening in the world order.

"These Western nations have realized that challenges against their national security have emerged from within their own alliance networks. They came to China seeking solutions to break through the challenges, hoping to address economic and livelihood issues," said Yang.

China's production and consumption capacities have a profound influence on the trajectory of global markets, making China an independent variable that can shape the course of the world order's evolution, he said.

"Of course, such transformation fundamentally hinges on China's great efforts to manage its domestic affairs effectively, which will help this trend continue," Yang added.

In November, Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

The theme for APEC 2026 is "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together", with openness, innovation and cooperation set as the three priorities to realize the vision of building a prosperous and stable regional community.

Starting in May, about 10 ministerial-level meetings and high-level events will take place in different locations across the country, covering areas such as goods trade, trade in services, the digital economy, transportation, human resources, small and medium-sized enterprises, energy, food security and finance, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Zhang Jun, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said that Asia, as a major engine of global economic growth, "shoulders the important mission of leading the world forward and promoting healthy global economic development" amid complex circumstances.

When sharing his outlook for this year at a press conference in January, Zhang said while many foreseeable and unforeseeable events may unfold, the international community's common aspirations and interests continue to lie in "upholding multilateralism, openness and development, dialogue and exchange, win-win cooperation, and jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity".

He highlighted several significant trends deserving close attention, including the reshaping of the international order amid global turbulence.

"Improving global governance has become more urgent and important, while upholding the international rule of law, security and stability remains critical tasks for every nation," he noted.

The global economic and trade landscape is undergoing restructuring amid adjustments, while diversification, regionalization and bilateralism will further develop, he said.

"Digitalization and green transformation will become key variables in measuring the quality and potential of economic operations and industrial development," he said.

"The application of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence is spreading further, profoundly reshaping production and daily life while becoming a focus of international competition," he added.

Joining hands

Another major event high on China's diplomatic calendar this year is the hosting of the second China-Arab States Summit.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Arab countries.

Liao Liqiang, Chinese ambassador to Egypt and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said, "We are ready to work with Arab countries including Egypt to uphold traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation."

The goal is to inject new momentum into China-Arab relations, and make greater contributions to maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity, Liao said in an article in February.

The League of Arab States was the first regional organization to jointly issue a document with China on implementing the Global Civilization Initiative.

China and Arab countries are jointly advancing the establishment of the China-Arab Center of Global Civilization Initiative, which will provide institutional support for mutual learning and exchanges between the two civilizations, Liao said.

"China has always been a sincere and reliable friend to Arab countries. It supports them in speeding up development and revitalization on their independently chosen paths, and is ready for jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability," he said.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.

In the first 11 months of last year, China-Africa trade volume surpassed the $300 billion threshold, a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent, according to the Foreign Ministry.

A growing number of African products such as coffee, nuts and fruits are making their way onto Chinese consumers' dining tables.

Lin Songtian, former president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, led a delegation to Angola and Mozambique in September.

Lin also accompanied a delegation led by Abdelkader Amara, president of the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of Africa, to attend the 2025 China Economic and Social Forum in the same month and visit Xi'an in Shaanxi province for exchanges.

As a seasoned diplomat on African affairs, Lin said promoting mutual learning among different civilizations, advancing the Belt and Road cooperation, deepening China-Africa win-win cooperation for shared development are among the common interests in exchanges with African friends.

The African side has unanimously spoken positively of President Xi Jinping's strategic vision and global perspective in proposing building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the initiatives on global development, security, civilization and governance, he said.

"African friends believe that China's proposals not only align with the trends of the times, demonstrate China's responsibility and rally international consensus, but also offer multidimensional strategic guidance and platforms for implementation," he said.

"African friends also unanimously praised the Communist Party of China for leading more than 1.4 billion people in achieving the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, which has offered African countries and peoples new hope and options for achieving their self-sustaining development," he said.

Greater collaboration

This year marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, which has drawn significant attention at home and abroad even before the opening of the annual two sessions.

Wu Ken, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said the 15th Five-Year Plan has profound and far-reaching significance.

"China's diplomacy is entering a new phase where it can achieve even more, and people-to-people diplomacy will also play a greater role," Wu, also former Chinese ambassador to Germany, wrote in an article in February.

He noted that amid the complex and intertwined global changes — including geopolitical restructuring, waves of technological revolution, and challenges to global governance — China's development "is in a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and unpredictable factors are increasing".

Zhao Mei, a senior research fellow with the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan "offers policy stability of top-level design to hedge against the risks of global disorder."

"While major developed economies frequently shift their policies, China maintains its strategic resolve through its five-year plans, provides long-term, stable expectations for the global market and serves as an anchor for the resilience of global industrial and supply chains," she said.

China provides valuable growth momentum for the world economy through the scale of its vast market, its continuously improving business environment, complete industrial system and abundant talent resources, she added.

The open and inclusive approach to global governance, as advocated in the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development, will help reshape the international cooperation agenda, she said.

"Through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deep engagement in Global South collaboration and its advocacy for an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, China is taking concrete actions to address the global governance deficit and help steer the international order toward greater fairness and inclusiveness," she said.

At a Spring Festival reception last month in Washington DC, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng noted that this year China will kick off its 15th Five-Year Plan, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence, and China and the US will also respectively host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit.

"All these will provide new opportunities for deepening our cooperation," said Xie, who is also a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.

"Not only should we enhance cooperation in traditional areas such as economy and trade, agriculture and energy, but we should also foster new growth points in sectors like counternarcotics, law enforcement, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and combating transnational crime," he added.