By Qiu Chaoyi, People’s Daily

China’s economy got off to a solid start in the first quarter of the year, with GDP expanding 5.0 percent year on year. Across the board, key indicators showed encouraging performance. Four keywords shed light on the quality and underlying strength of the country’s first-quarter economic performance.

Steady Improvement

Preliminary data show that China’s GDP reached nearly 33.42 trillion yuan ($4.9 trillion) in the first quarter, growing 5 percent year on year in real terms, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the fourth quarter of last year.

Breaking down the data, agricultural production remained stable, while industry and services both posted steady growth. The value added of the primary industry reached 1.19 trillion yuan, up 3.8 percent; the secondary industry grew 4.9 percent to 11.61 trillion yuan; and the tertiary industry rose 5.2 percent to 20.61 trillion yuan.

Price levels remained generally stable, with core CPI (Consumer Price Index) which excludes food and energy prices, up 1.2 percent year on year. Investment also rebounded, with fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) reaching 10.27 trillion yuan, up 1.7 percent and returning to positive growth. 

Consumption showed steady improvement, as retail sales of consumer goods rose 2.4 percent year on year to nearly 12.77 trillion yuan, accelerating by 0.7 percentage points from the previous quarter. Employment remained stable, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaging 5.3 percent, unchanged from a year earlier.

“Overall, major macroeconomic indicators picked up in the first quarter, new growth drivers expanded rapidly, and the economy achieved a good start,” said Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics.

Strong Resilience

Against a high comparison base from last year’s first quarter and a far more complex, challenging global outlook, China’s economy delivered a robust opening performance, fully demonstrating its remarkable resilience.

Take foreign trade, for example. In the first quarter, China’s total imports and exports of goods reached nearly 11.84 trillion yuan, up 15 percent year on year, the fastest quarterly growth in the past five years. Mao noted that the strong competitiveness of Chinese enterprises, the high cost-effectiveness of their products, and supportive policy measures have helped offset external uncertainties and expand new space for trade.

Energy security also reflects this resilience. “Amid rising global energy prices driven by geopolitical tensions, China has maintained stable and orderly energy supply, with timely price adjustments ensuring sufficient energy for both households and businesses,” Mao said. 

This stability stems from years of forward-looking efforts to develop new energy industries and build a diversified energy supply system, significantly enhancing the economy’s autonomy and stability, he added.

Supported by China’s vast domestic market, complete industrial system, and strong supporting capabilities, industrial and supply chains have remained secure and stable, effectively cushioning external shocks. This demonstrates the strong resilience and anti-risk capability of the Chinese industry and provides solid support for overall economic stability.

Innovation-Driven, High-Quality Development

In the first quarter, China’s new quality productive forces continued to grow steadily, characterized by high-end, intelligent, green, and upgraded development.

High-end manufacturing and modern services expanded rapidly. The value added of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size rose 12.5 percent year on year, raising its share in total output of industrial enterprises above designated size to 16.9 percent and contributing 2 percentage points to overall growth of industrial enterprises above designated size.

Intelligent development gained further momentum. Output in sectors directly related to artificial intelligence (AI), including electronic materials and integrated circuits, grew by 32.5 percent and 49.4 percent, respectively, highlighting AI’s growing role as a driver of economic activity.

Green transformation is also creating new growth engines. In the first quarter, production of lithium-ion batteries and wind turbines rose by 40.8 percent and 30.1 percent, respectively. Exports of the “new trio” — electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar products — continued to grow rapidly, with electric vehicle exports surging 77.5 percent, contributing to the global transition toward green and low-carbon development.

Meanwhile, traditional industries are being revitalized through steady upgrading, with faster progress in equipment renewal and technological transformation.

Confidence in the Outlook

Looking ahead, China has every reason to remain confident about its economic prospects.

“We have strong institutional strengths, as well as accumulated advantages in industry, market size, and talent. We are fully capable of maintaining stable economic performance and achieving high-quality development throughout the year,” Mao said.

With first-quarter GDP growth of 5.0 percent, China continues to rank among the fastest-growing major economies globally. Growth is increasingly driven by innovation, the cultivation of new quality productive forces, and the rapid expansion of new growth drivers.

At the same time, improving demand is creating favorable conditions. Domestic demand contributed 84.7 percent to economic growth in the first quarter, up nearly 30 percentage points year on year. Imports of consumer goods rose 5.4 percent, indicating a gradual recovery in domestic demand, particularly the continued release of potential in service consumption.

“Despite a complex external environment, we have the strength and resolve to meet any risks and challenges,” Mao said. “That assurance is built on our past achievements, and we remain confident about the future.”

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Recent overtures by the Philippines to resume oil and gas cooperation with China stand in stark contrast to Manila’s continued provocations in the South China Sea. While seeking economic support from China, Philippine authorities have simultaneously intensified actions infringing upon China’s core interests.

The Philippines currently faces a severe energy crisis exacerbated by Middle East conflicts. With a narrow energy structure heavily reliant on oil imports from the region, global supply disruptions have severely impacted its economy. Late last month, the government declared a nationwide energy emergency, highlighting the urgency of addressing these critical economic and livelihood challenges.

Against this backdrop, Philippine leaders have publicly acknowledged China’s fertilizer assistance and signaled openness to restarting bilateral energy talks. However, Manila’s actions tell a different story. The President recently unilaterally renamed 131 geographical features within China’s Nansha Qundao, while Philippine vessels intruded into China’s territorial waters off Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea, harassing Chinese fishing operations and staging media provocations.

Manila has further escalated tensions by fabricating incidents—including allegations of Chinese naval vessels using fire-control radar near Xianbin Jiao—and collaborating with external powers to disrupt regional security. The recent large-scale “Balikatan” joint exercises with the U.S. and Japan marked the first post-WWII deployment of Japanese combat forces on Philippine soil.

These contradictory actions reveal an opportunistic strategy by certain Philippine politicians to simultaneously leverage external allies—who benefit from South China Sea instability—while seeking economic cooperation with China. This “separate disputes from cooperation” approach is unsustainable; one cannot disregard a neighbor’s core interests while expecting its critical support.

As a nation with limited capacity to withstand external risks, the Philippines would be better served by prioritizing development over geopolitical maneuvering. History demonstrates that short-sighted actions only deepen uncertainty. Manila must reflect on what truly serves its long-term interests.

Neighborhood is immutable, and stable relations are essential. If genuinely committed to its people’s welfare and improved ties with China, the Philippines must address the root causes of tension, recalibrate its bilateral strategy, and cease provocations. China values Philippines’ stated desire for stability and dialogue but expects concrete actions to create conditions for meaningful cooperation.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

By Shi Yu, People’s Daily

As global trade continues to evolve, China is accelerating efforts to integrate ports, shipping, and trade through more efficient and intelligent logistics networks. A key platform in this push is the Silk Road Maritime, the country’s first comprehensive international logistics service platform centered on maritime shipping under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Launched in southeast China’s Fujian province in 2018, Silk Road Maritime has expanded rapidly. Today, it operates 148 routes originating from more than 10 Chinese ports, connecting to 150 ports across 48 countries and regions. It has become an important link bridging domestic and international markets and connecting land and sea corridors.

The platform has demonstrably improved both efficiency and scale. For instance, a newly launched container route from Fujian to Latin America has shortened sailing time by more than seven days. By February 2026, cross-border e-commerce goods transported via dedicated express shipping lines had achieved an export value exceeding 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion), while bulk and breakbulk cargo routes had handled goods worth over 32 billion yuan.

At Xiamen Port’s Haitian Terminal, a cargo vessel carrying more than 6,000 parcels of cross-border e-commerce goods, including apparel, small appliances, and daily necessities, recently set sail. Just two days later, the shipment would arrive at Manila Port in the Philippines.

Such efficiency was once unimaginable for Sun Kaiyang, general manager of a supply chain company based in Xiamen, Fujian province, the shipper of the above cargo. “In the past, we had to wait until enough goods were consolidated into a full container, then truck them to another port ahead of schedule. Delivery times were hard to guarantee.”

Cross-border e-commerce shipments are typically small in volume, frequent, and highly time-sensitive, posing challenges for traditional shipping logistics. 

To address this, the first Silk Road Maritime e-commerce express route was launched in June 2022. Since then, a growing network of such routes has enabled direct, point-to-point shipping from Xiamen to major ports in countries including Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

“Now we can deliver, load, inspect, and dispatch all on the same day,” Sun said. “The logistics chain has been significantly shortened.” 

Xiamen has also introduced an innovative mixed-container model, allowing e-commerce parcels and general trade goods to be shipped together. This has expanded cargo sourcing and increased flexibility in customs clearance. 

“Overall, transport time is reduced by about two days, and each container saves around 4,000 yuan in shipping costs, significantly boosting competitiveness,” Sun added.

Customs authorities have also streamlined procedures. “We’ve simplified declaration requirements and optimized inspection processes,” said Cai Shaojun, deputy head of the logistics supervision division at Dongdu Customs under Xiamen Customs. 

Compared with traditional models where different types of goods require separate warehousing and export, this integrated approach improves logistics time efficiency by 25 to 50 percent and is expected to cut costs per shipment by 10 to 25 percent, according to the official.

For long-distance maritime transport, reliable weather forecasting is critical.

In early November last year, Captain Zhang Nan of Meico International Shipping Limited faced a difficult decision while navigating a route from Penang, Malaysia, to Nansha Port in China’s Guangdong province, as Typhoon Kalmaegi approached. 

“Before departure, we hesitated — whether to wait it out or detour, both options meant delays and higher fuel costs,” he recalled.

Using Silk Road Maritime’s meteorological navigation service, the crew gained access to real-time visual forecasts covering the next five days, including the typhoon’s trajectory, wind conditions, and wave patterns. Supported by a team of meteorological and maritime experts, they determined that the vessel could proceed safely. The ship continued on its planned course, avoiding a 12-hour delay and saving 10 tons of fuel.

Behind this capability is an integrated meteorological service platform jointly developed by Silk Road Maritime, a Beijing-based global navigation company, and the Xiamen meteorological service center. The platform combines data on wind, waves, pressure, and visibility, forming a full-chain, all-weather support system spanning ocean routes, ports, and inland logistics.

Digitalization is another key pillar of Silk Road Maritime’s development. Its international shipping service platform uses big data and the Internet of Things to integrate resources across the logistics chain, monitoring container movements in real time, optimizing route planning, and delivering more efficient and reliable services.

The platform is also expanding its ecosystem. At the 2026 Silk Road Maritime Annual Meeting held in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on March 26, eight new members joined the Silk Road Maritime Association, bringing total membership to 375. 

“With coordinated support from the alliance, ports can prioritize berthing and streamline vessel handling, significantly improving turnaround efficiency,” said Fan Xiehui, a manager at the Xiamen branch of SITC Container Lines (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., adding that as a member of the association, the company has seen tangible benefits.

Li said the Silk Road Maritime will continue to pool global resources and explore coordinated development models linking ports, cities, industries, and trade, with the aim of building a smarter, more integrated ecosystem for international shipping and trade.