Over 2,000 years ago, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) spread to the world along the ancient Silk Road. In the decade since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), TCM has continued to traverse the world, building "health bridges" and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among countries.

Over this bridge, experts from the Hebei University of Chinese Medicine (HEBCM) visited Brazil from October 28 to November 10, 2023. During the period, they organized seven popular science exhibitions, four academic lectures, and more than 10 free clinics in three Brazilian cities, further promoting the recognition of TCM by the Brazilian public.

Through these activities, TCM, an ancient treasure of Chinese wisdom, is serving as a health ambassador to help promote people-to-people exchanges and cultural integration between China and Latin American, as well as the whole world.

Unexpected popularity

"Via our activities, the Brazilians deeply experienced the advantages of 'simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness' in TCM diagnosis and treatment. Many people have expressed that TCM is truly amazing, and as a result, we have gained a group of fans, some of whom followed the delegation throughout the 14-day visit, while others expressed their intention to come to HEBCM to study TCM," Gao Weijuan, president of the HEBCM, told the Global Times.

When asked about her first impression during the visit, Gao said that she did not expect that TCM would enjoy such a high level of popularity among the Brazilian people.

From what I learned during the visit, there are nearly 200,000 TCM practitioners in various regions in Brazil. Acupuncture has also been incorporated into the Brazilian public healthcare system (SUS), Gao said.

Brazil is one of the Latin American countries that first incorporated TCM into its public healthcare system. In 2006, the Brazilian Ministry of Health implemented the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices of the SUS, which included acupuncture and other TCM practices in the system, allowing more Brazilians to access services through Chinese medicine.
Mesa is a teacher at the University of Brasília and a student signed up for the online acupuncture class at the Confucius Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Federal University of Goiás (FUG).

After learning about the effectiveness of TCM in treating bone and joint diseases, rheumatic joint muscle pain, and neurasthenia, Mesa has been looking forward to personally experiencing the magic of acupuncture. Upon learning that the online class instructor, Zhang Xuanping, was coming to Brazil together with the delegation, she specially traveled from Brasília to Goiania to attend the acupuncture lecture and get insights into the effectiveness of the ancient form of treatment.

"This time I appreciated the benefits of TCM's involvement in Brazilian public health; I think it is truly good," Mesa said.

Douglas, a student from the Confucius Institute of TCM at FUG, not only followed the expert team throughout their activities in Goiania, but also drove 200 kilometers to Brasília with the team to follow their activities.

Douglas is a physical education teacher. He believes that TCM techniques such as acupuncture, massage, cupping, and bone setting are "extremely miraculous" and have extraordinary therapeutic effects on sports injuries.

The welcome and recognition of TCM by the Brazilian public were fully demonstrated during the HEBCM delegation's medical consultations.

On the first day, patients were mainly students from the Confucius Institute, but the effectiveness of the treatment spread by word of mouth, and on the second day, a large number of patients from the surrounding area attended. On the third day, the number of patients doubled, said Wang Xu, the Chinese director of the TCM Confucius Institute at FUG.

According to Gao, the delegation's clinics attracted a total of 1,800 patients over a period of 14 days.

A good reputation was built on solid technology and the effectiveness of the treatment.

Doctor Du Shuangqing from the HEBCM is famous for being good at using uses TCM bone-setting techniques to treat diseases such as lumbar disc herniation and neck and shoulder pain. After a few minutes of treatment, patients might experience significant pain relief and improvement in walking posture.

Du, at the lectures in Brazil, revealed that one of his patients, who had been unable to squat for three years and experienced mobility difficulties while climbing stairs, was initially advised to consider surgery by a Brazilian doctor. However, after receiving TCM bone setting treatment, the patient could not only squat down, but could also easily climb stairs without the need for surgery.

Du said that he used to prefer surgical solutions as well, but as his bone-setting techniques improved, the need for surgery decreased while the treatment outcomes improved.
In addition to Brazil, other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Peru, Cuba, and Venezuela are also increasingly focusing on learning the concepts of TCM.

Some countries have already incorporated TCM into their medical schools' curriculums, while others are exploring the possibility of cooperation with Chinese medicine institutions.

A staffer at the International Education College, the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM), surnamed Lu, told the Global Times that Latin American experts, and young students have been some of the most enthusiastic participants in the SHUTCM summer schools for foreigners.

Since 2012, 48 students from this region have attended SHUTCM's summer schools. Other workshops for senior health officials from countries associated with the BRI have seen 44 participants from Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.

Upgraded cooperation

The HEBCM expert delegation also witnessed upgraded cooperation between HEBCM and FUG.
On October 30, 2023, a brand new TCM diagnosis and treatment center was officially unveiled at the TCM Confucius Institute, FUG, the only Confucius Institute of TCM in Latin America.

Camila Cardoso Caixeta, director of the School of Nursing, FUG, hailed the inauguration of the center, saying that it marks the beginning of a new chapter in history - the school is about to become a beacon of TCM in the state of Goiás and Brazil as a whole.

"The immersive and continuous training conducted by Chinese experts for our team signifies an important step toward providing high-quality and comprehensive care," she said.

Brazil has abundant plant resources and a tradition of using herbal medicine, but there is a lack of understanding and application of herbal medicine. Based on this, there is vast potential for cooperation between China and Brazil in the development and utilization of medicinal plant resources, according to Gao Weijuan.

Shortly after the HEBCM expert delegation's visit to Brazil, a senior delegation from the FUG consisting of the university's vice president Jesiel Freitas Carvalho, Caixeta, and Brazilian president of the FUG Confucius Institute of TCM Francisco Jose Quaresma de Figueiredo paid a visit to HEBCM on December 4.

The two universities conducted consultations on the details of jointly launching a professional nursing master's education program and co-establishing the International Joint Research Center for TCM acupuncture in Hebei, and have reached preliminary consensus on the content of the aforementioned project cooperation agreement.

Both parties expressed their hope to continue to work together to promote the high-quality development of the Confucius Institute of TCM, and at the same time, expedite the implementation of new projects and deepen cooperation in the teaching and research of TCM and nursing.
In order to further promote the development of TCM in Brazil, Reginaldo Filho, founder and director general of Faculdade EBRAMEC (which stands for Brazilian College of Chinese Medicine), also visited the SHUTCM in October 2023. During the visit, Filho showed great interest in the SHUTCM's self-invented instruments for the modern application of TCM, and had deep conversations with the university's staffers on topics including the theories and clinical practices of TCM, and possible further cooperation in this field, according to Lu.

Health ambassador

TCM is becoming a popular healthcare approach in Latin America, promoting exchanges and integration between China and the world with its unique charm. It also has become a unique channel for people in Latin American to learn about Chinese culture.

In Brazil, the channel was based on the function of the Confucius Institute of TCM, FUG. Founded in October 2019, the institute hosted a total of 41 classes as of the end of December 2023, including 27 levels of Chinese language classes, and 14 classes on the overview of TCM, acupuncture, massage, and Tai Chi, attracting a total of more than 700 students.

Nearly 100 cultural exchange activities related to Chinese culture have also been held. An online Chinese Bridge project with a TCM theme was hosted, attracting students from nine countries including Brazil, Canada, and Egypt to learn Chinese and TCM courses, promoting the global understanding of TCM.

TCM is a precious gem of ancient Chinese science and also a key to unlocking the treasure trove of the Chinese civilization. China has attached great importance to TCM, and the inheritance, innovation, and development of the ancient medical science have ushered in a favorable condition for the industry as a whole.

As a facilitator of cultural exchanges between China and other countries, TCM is not only a beautiful calling card, but can also showcase its inherent unique charm, attracting Brazilians to experience Chinese medicine and understand China, and promote people-to-people connectivity, Gao noted.

In the future, the Chinese TCM industry should increase the cultivation of high-level talent, especially cultivating students' international perspectives and building a first-class talent pool.

"We should closely integrate with the BRI, firmly go global, not only to Latin America but also to Southeast Asia and Europe, so that the therapeutic effects of TCM can benefit people in countries and regions around the world," Gao stressed.

An exhibition area for advanced manufacturing will be added to the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), aiming to boost new quality productive forces. So far, more than 160 enterprises from home and abroad have confirmed their participation in the expo, the Global Times learned on Friday.

The second CISCE is scheduled to be held from November 26 to 30 in Beijing, and preparatory work is already in full swing, said Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), which is the organizer of the expo, on Friday evening at an event named "Networking Reception of the Second CISCE."

"After research, we decided to add an exhibition area for the advanced manufacturing chain. This is an important innovation of the second CISCE," Ren said.

In 2023, the first CISCE showcased five major supply chains: the intelligent vehicle chain, the green agriculture chain, the cleaner energy chain, the digital technology chain, and the healthy life chain.

According to Ren, the newly added advanced manufacturing chain exhibition area will focus on new quality productive forces and display the whole industrial chain in an all-round and multi-angle way, from front-end research and development (R&D), application of new materials and processing of key parts to intelligent manufacturing. Products such as industrial automation, robots, advanced equipment, high-end equipment and construction machinery will be displayed.

Participants at the Friday event said that the industrial chain and supply chain are the "blood vessel system" of economic development. Consolidating and strengthening global industrial chain and supply chain cooperation is in the interests of all parties, the Global Times learned.

Through exchanges by the upper, middle and lower reaches of the supply chain, and the integration of large, small and medium-sized enterprises, the CISCE can help enterprises find supply chain partners globally, and also help them to apply the latest scientific research achievements to all links of the industrial chain, Director General of CCPIT Academy Zhao Ping told the Global Times on Friday on the sidelines of the event.

"Therefore, all links of the supply chain - from R&D, production, distribution and logistics to consumption - can complement each other, and promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry," said Zhao.

The security, stability and smooth cooperation of the global supply chain is indeed the concern of the business communities of all countries, Lin Shunjie, chairman of the China International Exhibition Center Group, the co-organizer of the CISCE, told the Global Times on Friday.

"The supply chain expo, the first of its kind in the world, aims to provide cooperation opportunities between global enterprises and help enterprises develop partners alongside the supply chain," said Lin.

Many multinationals that did not attend the first CISCE expressed their willingness to attend the second edition this year. Some previous participants have asked to increase their exhibition area, Lin said.

"Apart from enterprises from the US and European countries, companies from Latin America, Japan and Southeast Asia are contacting us, hoping to attend the second CISCE," Lin noted, adding that last year during the first expo, US enterprises took up 45 percent of the exhibition area for overseas enterprises.

Ren also mentioned that executives of the world's top 500 companies such as Budweiser, Novo Nordisk, Procter & Gamble, HSBC and CMA CGM have expressed their desire to participate in the second CISCE.

But Lin also noted that since the exhibition area is limited, they will be strict in choosing participants. "We just started building a new convention complex to accommodate more enterprises," Lin added.

The first CISCE concluded in December 2023 with about 200 business deals and cooperation agreements signed, worth more than 150 billion yuan ($21 billion), the Global Times learned from CCPIT.

The first expo attracted 515 domestic and foreign exhibitors. Approximately 26 percent of the exhibitors were from overseas, representing 55 countries and regions. US and European firms accounted for 36 percent of overseas exhibitors.

China remains the largest contributor to the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) patent cooperation treaty (PCT) system for international patents registration, with Huawei Technologies registering 6,494 published PCT applications in 2023, according to the official WeChat account of the United Nations on Wednesday.

The latest data from the WIPO showed the number of international patent applications by Chinese innovators through the PCT system has ranked first in the world, as overall international registrations of IP via WIPO softened slightly, and China and the US remained as the world's top users of WIPO's patent system in 2023.

In 2023, there were a total of 69,610 PCT filings from China, among the total number of 272,600 globally, accounting for about 25 percent, WIPO said. Though a small decrease of 0.6 percent from the previous year, China continued to be the top origin of PCT applications. The US came in second with 55,678 applications, representing a 5.3 percent drop year-on-year.

Innovation activity keeps expanding despite rising interest rates and economic uncertainty, the WIPO said on March 7, and filings through WIPO's PCT system dropped 1.8 percent, marking a first decline in 14 years.

"Applications in the international trademark system fell 7 percent while use of the international design system bucked the trends to grow by 1 percent with expanded activity by China," it said.

"Higher interest rates and economic uncertainties cast a shadow on innovation activity in 2023. But declining inflation rates forecast for 2024 and hotspots like India, Southeast Asia and beyond may provide more business confidence and innovation investments, setting the stage for a recovery in international IP fillings later this year," said WIPO Director General Daren Tang.

The world's innovation hub is shifting eastward as well. Countries in Asia represented 55.7 percent of international patent applications via WIPO last year, up from 40.5 percent one decade ago, the official noted.

Apart from the WIPO's PCT, China also holds leading positions in the Madrid and Hague systems for international IP registrations. By the end of 2023, China had set a new global benchmark with 4.99 million valid invention patents, including 4.01 million domestic patents, making it the first country to surpass 4 million valid domestic invention patents, according to China National Intellectual Property Administration.

China attaches great importance to international patent cooperation and intellectual property protection. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing in January that in the 30 years since joining the PCT, China has actively participated in the revision and improvement of international rules such as those of the PCT and continuously improved the domestic IP legal system, while carrying out fruitful cooperation with the WIPO.

"IP is an important source of support for innovative development. With the support of patented technology, China has continuously improved its IP quality and efficiency to accelerate innovation," Wang noted.

The work report of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Friday pledged to accelerate the formation of a law aimed at promoting the development of the private sector, sending a strong, fresh signal on policymakers' commitment to making continuous improvements in the business environment and boosting the high-quality development of the private sector for Chinese modernization.

Deputies and entrepreneurs said the legislative work will better build a fair, law-based and orderly business environment, resolve the challenges faced by private enterprises, and spark their endogenous motivating power and vitality for the accelerated development of new quality productive forces.

While the law is an implementation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's commitment to unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public sector of the economy, the Party's clear and vigorous support for the private sector is also a strong rebuttal to some Western media outlets' claims that China is squeezing the private economy.

"Work must be done to support the growth of the private sector and private enterprises and spur the intrinsic impetus and innovative vigor of various business entities," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday when he participated in a deliberation with fellow lawmakers from East China's Jiangsu Province during the second session of the 14th NPC, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

It is necessary to accelerate the improvement of underlying institutions in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition and social credit to build a high-standard socialist market economy system, he said.

Meanwhile, this year's Government Work Report again stressed that state-owned enterprises, private businesses, and foreign-funded companies all play an important role in China's modernization drive. "We will strive to create a sound environment in which enterprises under all forms of ownership can compete and grow on a level playing field," it noted. 

Enhanced confidence
The encouraging words from this year's two sessions for the country's private businesses have reverberated through the vast private sector, with many companies and entrepreneurs vowing to strive to achieve tech innovations and sound development to serve the country's goal of high-quality development.

"The law is important for the development of the private sector, as it will inject confidence into and boost the regulation and protection of private enterprises," Wang Yu, chairman and president of Spring Airlines and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told the Global Times on Friday.

The law should ensure equal treatment of private and state-owned enterprises and fair competition in terms of market entry, distribution of resources and fund-raising so as to stimulate the vitality of various market entities for their healthy development, he said.

"The Government Work Report has attached great importance to private tech firms, and mentioned it will reinforce the principal role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation. This made me deeply feel the nation's support for private enterprises' development," Zhou Hongyi, founder and chairman of 360 Security Technology and a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, told the Global Times. 

We private tech companies will live up to the mission by leading tech innovation such as artificial intelligence, in order to become a major force in developing new quality productive forces and inject more impetus into our country's high-quality economic development, Zhou said.

Liu Yonghao, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC and chairman of New Hope Group, said he has noticed related government agencies' efforts to help private businesses, noting that the upcoming law will play an active role in boosting private enterprises' high-quality development.

Chinese private businesses have continually made progress in recent years, while also making many contributions to the country's development. For example, a batch of international leaders have emerged in China in sectors such as new-energy vehicles, helping the made-in-China brands go global, Liu told the Global Times.

Economic experts and the media frequently use a combination of the numbers 50, 60, 70 and 80 to describe the private sector's contributions to the Chinese economy. The private sector contributes more than 50 percent of the country's tax revenue, over 60 percent of its GDP, more than 70 percent of its technological innovation, and provides over 80 percent of its urban employment, official data showed.

Amid factors including a sluggish global economy and an increasingly complex external environment, Chinese private enterprises now face some challenges. The revival of private companies and the improvement of private entrepreneurs' sentiment are crucial for China's high-quality development, as the private sector has been a key pillar sustaining China's economic expansion and is expected to be a pioneer of innovative development, analysts said.

Unswerving support

China has long attached great importance to the private sector, encouraging it to play a bigger role in stabilizing growth and promoting structural adjustments and innovation.

Over the past year, the authorities introduced an array of targeted policies to shore up the growth of the private sector. In July 2023, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council jointly issued guidelines on boosting the growth of the private sector, promising to improve its business environment, enhance policy support, and strengthen legal guarantees for its development.

In September, the authorities set up a bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission to ensure policy coordination and implementation to create a better environment and ramp up support for the growth of the private sector.

China should lift some institutional obstacles to further optimize the investment environment for the country's private sector in order to stimulate the market vitality for investment, while ensuring domestic firms feel safe investing funds, Yin Yanlin, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, told the Global Times.

Yin suggested expanding investment space for private enterprises by effectively breaking down the invisible barriers that hinder investment entry. As examples, he cited leaving public welfare projects with certain revenue to the private business market, and expanding the range of trial for real estate investment trusts (REITs) to private-owned companies, hotel and tourism projects.

"2024 is an important year to transform. It provides an important opportunity for Chinese companies to push the transformation," Denis Depoux, Global Managing Director at Roland Berger, told the Global Times, urging companies to take action.

There are three key drivers of China's future development, namely industrial modernization, energy transition and decarbonization, and transformation of domestic consumption. All three levers are highly transformational and will require a combination of investment, technology, knowledge and know how, Depoux said.

Many companies will start to review, decide and formulate new strategies, as the 15th Five-Year Plan will steer the overall direction for coming years. Companies need to bravely step out of the "wait-and-see" approach, face the changes and start to take concrete actions to implement the transformation to prepare themselves to better fit into the future and support the economy, he said.

It is normal to see people come and go, yet Hong Kong never lost its sheen to international talents, nor is the city’s global role dwindling, said deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, refuting foreign media’s hype that “brain drain” is threatening the city’s status as an international financial hub.

Hong Kong's economy is still very popular internationally, with over 9,000 companies operating in the city. However, in terms of talent, mobility is quite common. Many foreign talents come to Hong Kong, as well as talented people from Chinese mainland, Ken Wong Kam-leung, a deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

His comment aim to refute the hype from some Western media, such as Bloomberg, which claimed that Hong Kong is suffering from brain drain, which is threatening its status as an international financial hub. 
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-08/china-applicants-make-up-95-of-hong-kong-talent-visa-approvals?sref=CtPNqsCb 

Some foreign media outlets also reported that talented people are hesitant to work and live in Hong Kong, and claimed there could be an exodus of talented people from the city.

“We have always had people coming in and going out, and we are delighted to see that our talent program is very popular,” Starry Lee Wai-king, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, told the Global Times. She believes that Hong Kong will continue to launch different programs to attract different talents, to contribute to the development of the city, as well as the country. 

Wang Wenbin, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, also slammed such reports in January. According to official statistics, from mid-2022 to mid-2023, the net population inflow into Hong Kong was 174,000, debunking the claim of the so-called "talent exodus," Wang said.

From January to November 2023, the HKSAR government received more than 200,000 applications through various talent attraction programs, of which over 120,000 have been approved, exceeding the 80,000 people who quit jobs during the period – with the difference being bigger than the city's annual plan of attracting at least 35,000 skilled workers.

The deputies also highlighted the importance of exchange between people in Hong Kong and the mainland. Lee said she is thrilled to see the frenzy of Hong Kong residents "tripping north" to Shenzhen.

According to the latest data from the Hong Kong SAR Immigration Department issued in January, as of December 30, 2023, there were 53.34 million trips made by Hong Kong residents "heading north" throughout the year, with over 40 million departing through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong port.

Hong Kong media reports said that unlike before 2019, Shenzhen has now taken the lead in this cross-border city pair, as the consumption pattern of Hongkongers in Shenzhen gradually shifted from leisurely spending to everyday purchase, from dining and entertainment to medical check-ups, grocery shopping and even real estate purchases.

Now is the best time to promote patriotic education to people in Hong Kong, because whether it is traveling, shopping, or working in the mainland, representatives of Hong Kong people are very fond of exploring and understanding the real situation in the mainland, said Lee. 

She believes it’s also important to roll out preferential policies, such as optimizing visa application, to attract people from the mainland to visit Hong Kong. 

After COVID, the Hong Kong government has been working hard to catch up. Now there are many grand events and activities being organized to boost tourism, said Lee, noting that the city still needs to provide more new experiences, innovative products and possibly better services in order to attract more tourists.

The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, kicked off its second session on Monday, marking the start of the annual two sessions. The second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, is set to open on Tuesday.

This year's political gatherings carry extra weight for the Chinese economy, as 2024 will be a crucial year for the realization of the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), and the new government is set to submit its Government Work Report to the NPC annual session for deliberation for the first time.

The session usually reviews past achievements and sets development targets for the current year and beyond.

At a time when mainstream Western media outlets are flooded with reports of China grappling with various difficulties - deflation, a property crisis, mounting debt burdens and a foreign capital exodus - the two sessions will serve as a crucial window for the world to observe the country's economic development and understand its policy direction for the year ahead, which Western media outlets said investors are watching closely for signals of a "bazooka-like stimulus." 

It's not unusual to see Western media outlets run bearish reports badmouthing the Chinese economy around the major political event every year. For instance, a report published by the Financial Times on February 27, 2023, was headlined "The implications of China's mid-income trap," while CNN ran an article entitled "China's economy had a surprisingly good start to the year, but it may not last" in March 2022.

Yet, China still accomplished its 2023 GDP growth target despite downward pressure and challenges, and the underlying trends of a rebound in the economy and long-term growth remain unchanged. Such economic fundamentals further prove that the ill-intentioned "China collapse" theory cannot withstand the test of time.

Why have Western predictions about a hard landing for the Chinese economy never come true? The key lies in the inability to understand that China's economic development has its own rhythm and policy direction, which will not be influenced by Western hype. The reason why the two sessions are of great importance to China's economy is not only because of the GDP target issued during the meetings, but also because of the policy direction set for achieving stable economic development in the year ahead.

There is no denying that China's GDP target has been the focus of world attention, which is not surprising given its huge economic size and important implications for the global economy. The Chinese government has always stressed the importance of the quality of economic development, rather than just the growth rate, but GDP, as a major measure of a country's economic strength, is still one of the most important economic metrics in China. 

It is true that China's economic growth has slowed in recent years amid unprecedented and complicated domestic and external market challenges. This is mainly because the economy is undergoing a period of adjustment and transformation. Despite the difficulties and downward pressure, China is still on a solid footing and its GDP growth rate remains relatively fast among the world's major economies. 

If anything, China's consistent economic performance over the years is the best proof that it has the ability to transform its economy while maintaining growth momentum.

During China's two sessions, much attention is often paid to the country's GDP growth target. However, it is crucial to look beyond mere numbers and understand the implications of new policies and measures to be implemented by the Chinese government to address economic challenges. Because the policy direction not only promises positive influence on China's economic prospects, but also presents opportunities in the country's future development.

The Chinese economy is resilient, has huge potential and vitality and its growth momentum will continue to strengthen and lead to a bright future, according to a spokesperson for the Second Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Economic issues have been a focal point for political advisors ahead of the gathering, and it is the opinion of all political advisors that in 2023 the Chinese economy withstood the external pressure and overcome internal difficulties, and the economy has been on a general recovery track, according to Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.

There is a good foundation and favorable conditions for promoting high-quality development and the long-term positive economic trend will continue to be consolidated and strengthened, Liu said, responding to a question about the current status of the Chinese economy.

Solid progress has been made in achieving major social and economic growth targets, high-quality development and Chinese way of modernization in 2023, Liu said.

The CPPCC held quarterly seminars on the country's macroeconomic situation and in-depth consultations on the stable operation of the overall economy, with topics ranging from fiscal, monetary, employment and headline economic policies, and provide suggestions and strategies to stabilize market expectations and boost investor confidence, according to Liu.

Biweekly consultations meetings were held on fostering the high-quality development across the financial sector and promote the stable and sound development of the property sector and field trips were made to promote the high-quality development of the private economy, strengthen the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises, and improve the resilience and safety level of the industrial and supply chains.

The CPPCC also arranged study trips to small and medium-sized banks to help tackle the risks of smaller financial institutions and provide advice on implementing the task mapped by during the Central Economic Work Conference held in December.

Its suggestions on fostering new-quality productive forces were highly valued and in many cases adopted by relevant government departments, Liu said.

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC will begin on March 4.

China's economy grew 5.2 percent year-on-year in 2023, finishing above last year's official GDP target of around 5 percent, and underscoring the resilience and potential of the Chinese economy in the post-COVID-19 era.

Escalating US trade protectionism, and its behavior of politicizing economic issues and erecting more trade barriers to affect fair competition, will only harm the development of its own auto industry in the long run, He Yadong, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on Thursday.

Chinese cars are popular in the global market because of their innovative features and high quality rather than alleged low-price dumping, He said, responding to a question over media reports saying that the Alliance for American Manufacturing had asked the US government to block the import of low-cost Chinese automobiles and auto parts from Mexico.

In addition, a Reuters report said on Wednesday that Republican US Senator Josh Hawley has introduced legislation to hike tariffs on Chinese vehicle imports amid so-called concerns about the potential competitive impact on American car companies.

In recent years, the US side has erected barriers to thwart Chinese car imports, like levying additional tariffs, excluding Chinese car brands from US government procurement and implementing discriminatory subsidy policies, He said.

While the US erects barriers to hinder Chinese carmakers, China is always open to carmakers from across the world, He said. 

US carmakers have fully enjoyed the dividends of China's huge market, with the sales volume of American brands far outpacing Chinese brands in the US. Protectionism by the US will only hinder its own auto industry's development in the long run, He said.

The MOFCOM spokesperson urged the US to respect the rules of the market economy and the principle of fair competition while correcting its non-market practices in order to build a fair environment for the long-term development of the auto industry.

The EU has also stepped up trade protectionism against Chinese automobiles, and recently, the EU's antitrust regulator launched an investigation into Chinese trainmaker CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive, a subsidiary of CRRC Corp, the world's biggest producer of rolling stock.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told the Global Times that the protectionist moves of the US and EU violate the WTO principle of fairness, and robust exports of Chinese new-energy vehicles (NEVs) reflect the strong international competitiveness of China's industry chains rather than so-called subsidies.

In China, the subsidy granted to NEVs was completely phased out as of the end of 2022. In order to maintain fair competition, provinces across China were required to stop subsidies for NEVs starting from 2018, and subsequently, national subsidies were phased out in an orderly fashion, Cui said.

Cui is positive about the development of China's NEV sector on the back of its strong innovation capability, complete manufacturing system and strong supply chains.

China's vehicle exports surged 57.9 percent year-on-year to a record of 4.91 million in 2023 as the country's automakers expanded their presence overseas, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

China-US economic and trade cooperation is a stabilizing force in bilateral relations. The Chinese side is willing to join hands with the US to implement the important consensus reached at the San Francisco meeting between the two heads of state to jointly promote the steady and healthy development of China-US economic and trade relations, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said when meeting with a US Chamber of Commerce delegation led by the chamber's President and CEO Suzanne Clark in Beijing on Tuesday.

China will unswervingly promote high-level opening-up and it is hoped that member companies of the US Chamber of Commerce will continue to be deeply rooted in the Chinese market and achieve win-win development, Wang said.

German auto giant Volkswagen Group has signed an agreement with Xpeng, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker to co-develop new EV models tailored for Chinese market, where broad consumers are embracing clean, environment-friendly cars.

The two parties agreed to commence strategic tech collaboration, bundling their respective strengths to explore the dynamic Chinese market, and will co-develop two intelligent internet-connected vehicles tailored for Chinese consumers, according to a statement sent from Volkswagen Group to the Global Times on Thursday. 

The agreement includes the joint purchase of vehicle equipment and auto parts, in addition to the use of innovative technologies in auto design and engineering.

The first two EV models are scheduled to hit the road in 2026, with one planned to be a sport utility vehicle, Volkswagen said. 

Ralf Brandstätter, a board member of Volkswagen AG for China region, said China is the world's largest and fastest-growing EV market, noting that the partnership with XPeng increases economic competitiveness of vehicle production in a price sensitive market environment.

He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of XPeng, said the company will provide Chinese consumers with the best EV products combining Volkswagen's vehicle making and engineering capability and XPeng's smart EV technology. 

In December 2023, Volkswagen completed the acquisition of shares amounting to 4.99 per cent of the total issued and outstanding share capital in XPeng, following the announcement of the partnership in July 2023.

Another Chinese EV maker Nio in December last year signed a pact for an investment of $2.2 billion with Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holding. And, Dutch automaker Stellantis NV also announced in October 2023 to invest 1.5 billion euros to acquire approximately 20 percent of China's EV start-up Leapmotor, underlining the advantage and competitiveness of China's EV manufacturing.

At the end of 2023, China’s population was 1.4097 billion, a decrease of 2.08 million from the previous year, with urban permanent residents totaling 932.67 million. The annual new births reached 9.02 million, while deaths hit 11.1 million, resulting in a natural growth rate of -1.48‰: official statistics