High-standard opening up: China's path to shared global prosperity

Editor's note: Kong Qingjiang, a special commentator for CGTN, is the vice dean of the School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In an era of global economic uncertainty, China has embraced high-standard opening up as a cornerstone of its development strategy. According to the World Openness Report 2025, which has just been released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' (CASS) Institute of World Economics and Politics and the Research Center for the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, China's openness index registered a rise of 29.6 percent from 1990 to 2024, placing it among the top global performers. 

China's opening-up has transcended mere market access, representing a comprehensive institutional shift aimed at integrating with international economic and trade rules while fostering a new development paradigm. By prioritizing institutional openness, innovation, and multilateral cooperation, China is not only advancing its own modernization but also contributing significantly to global economic stability and growth.

Such an opening-up policy has evolved from the early-stage opening-up policy centered around the facilitation of flow of goods and factors of production to a deeper, rules-based institutional opening. This transition focuses on aligning domestic rules with high-standard international norms in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit systems. The goal is to create a transparent, stable, and predictable business environment that appeals to international traders and investors.

For instance, in the pilot free trade zones (FTZs), which have served as testing grounds for new reforms, the negative list for foreign investment has been slashed from 190 items in 2013 to just 27 items, with manufacturing sector restrictions now completely removed. This institutional alignment demonstrates China's commitment to wider opening-up.

The high-standard opening up is driven by both domestic needs and global situations. Domestically, it supports China's transition from high-speed growth to high-quality development, helping to transform its economic structure, foster new growth drivers, and develop new quality productive forces. Internationally, China stands up to countering headwinds such as protectionism and geopolitical tensions, as evidenced by its performance during the unprecedented reciprocal tariff war that the United States waged against most of its trading partners around the world.

The country is unilaterally opening up in light of the advanced economic and trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), though it is still in the process of joining the agreements. This unilateral opening-up approach enables China to address domestic development imperatives while creating a virtuous cycle where openness fuels progress, and progress enables further openness.

China's commitment to high-standard opening up is reflected in tangible policy measures and outcomes. In trade, China has granted zero-tariff treatment to all least developed countries (LDCs) with which it has diplomatic relations, including 33 African nations, on 100 percent of their products, effective from December 1, 2024. Platforms like the China International Import Expo (CIIE) provide avenues for international exporters to tap the China market, reinforcing China's role as a linchpin of global trade.

In the area of investment, China has implemented the pre-establishment national treatment, which allows foreign investment access to the Chinese market in the same way as domestic investors, subject to limited exceptions, thus ranking China as one of the world's leading foreign investment recipients. Furthermore, China's BRI has channeled hundreds of billions of dollars in outbound investment to participating countries.

These efforts are supported by ongoing financial opening, including liberalizing cross-border capital flows and promoting the internationalization of the RMB, which integrates China more deeply into the global financial system.

As China deepens its integration with the global economy and engages in an open innovation ecosystem, in order to make the opening-up secure and sustainable, it attaches importance to the balancing of development and security by enhancing regulatory capabilities and risk prevention mechanisms in sectors critical to economic stability. For example, while promoting cross-border data flow, China is also refining data governance rules to safeguard security. Simultaneously, openness is leveraged as a tool to spur innovation. By engaging with global innovation networks, China accelerates the development of fostering advances in digital intelligence, green technologies, and other emerging fields. As echoed by the World Openness Report 2025, this synergy has enabled China to become one of the global leaders in the AI and green economies, ensuring that its openness is both sustainable and secure.

China's high-standard opening up has far-reaching implications for the global economy. In the face of sluggish global growth and rising uncertainties, China's steady expansion of institutional openness provides a much-needed "anchor of stability." The country's massive market of 1.4 billion people, including over 400 million in the middle-income group, offers vast opportunities for international businesses, making "cooperating with China synonymous with cooperating with opportunity."

China plans to further deepen institutional opening by expanding the scope of FTZs, advancing unilateral openness, particularly for least-developed countries, and actively participating in the reform of global economic governance. The "15th Five-Year Plan" will continue to prioritize openness across four dimensions: unilaterally opening markets, innovating in trade, expanding two-way investment, and high-quality BRI cooperation. By doing so, China will not only fuel its own modernization but will also contribute to a more inclusive and resilient global economy, proving that its openness is indeed "a great cause that is good for China and good for the world."

In conclusion, China's high-standard opening up is a multifaceted and dynamic strategy that strengthens its domestic economy while reinforcing its role as a responsible stakeholder in the international community. By aligning with global rules, fostering innovation and promoting cooperation, China demonstrates that its commitment to openness is a powerful force for shared prosperity in an interconnected world.

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