On January 15, 2026, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivered a keynote speech at the China General Chamber of Commerce – USA (CGCC) 2026 Lunar New Year of the Horse Gala in New York, stressing that no matter how the external environment changes, China’s strategic choice to pursue high-quality development and high-standard opening up will not change.

Ambassador Xie noted that the year 2025 marked the completion of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. Despite mounting pressure, China pushed forward with innovation-led and high-quality economic development. Our GDP is expected to meet the annual growth target of around 5%, with economic output projected to cross another threshold and reach RMB 140 trillion, continuing to contribute over 30% to global economic growth. Our total trade in goods in 2025 expanded by 3.8% year on year, and the trade surplus has surpassed USD 1 trillion for the first time, making us both a top exporter and a global buyer. A stream of new innovations, such as large AI models and humanoid robots, has emerged, and China’s intelligent manufacturing, represented by electric vehicles and smart phones, is gaining popularity globally. The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. We will follow up on the grand blueprint outlined at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, continue to leverage our advantages in system, market, industry and human resources, advance high-quality development, achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, boost new quality productive forces, strengthen the domestic economy while promoting unimpeded domestic and international economic flows, expand high-standard opening up, and pursue common prosperity for all.

Ambassador Xie emphasized that China’s development is open development. An ever-developing, increasingly open China will bring more opportunities to the world. We have slashed the number of items on our negative list for foreign investment to 29, and given all Least Developed Countries having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines. Island-wide special customs operations were launched in the Hainan Free Trade Port, and voluntary and unilateral opening up is steadily expanding. In the first 11 months of 2025, over 60,000 foreign-invested businesses were newly established in China, up by 16.9% year on year. American companies have taken up the largest exhibition area at the China International Import Expo for seven years in a row, and led overseas participation at the China International Supply Chain Expo over the past two years. All these are votes of confidence the world has cast in China.

Looking ahead, Ambassador Xie said that with its middle-income group on track to double and exceed 800 million in the coming decade, China is fast emerging as the world’s largest and most dynamic consumer market. In China, industrial clusters in strategic emerging fields such as new energy, new materials, aviation and aerospace, and the low-altitude economy will create multi-trillion-yuan or even larger markets. We will also expand pilot programs to open up value-added telecommunications, biotechnology, wholly foreign-owned hospitals and other service industries. Chinese and American businesses can fully tap the potential for cooperation in these areas and build more practical partnerships. Of course, cooperation should be a two-way street, benefiting both sides. The American government, for its part, is also expected to create an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the U.S., including providing visa and border entry facilitation, rather than setting obstacles.