CGTN poll: CIIE marks China's major stride in opening up

The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), held after the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has attracted 155 countries, regions, and international organizations to participate. A total of 4,108 overseas enterprises gathered across a massive exhibition area of 430,000 square meters, setting new records for both exhibition scale and the number of participating enterprises.

A public opinion survey conducted by CGTN among 14,000 respondents from 46 countries shows that 72.6 percent of respondents believe China is an open and competitive free market. Respondents from 28 countries expressed above-average agreement with this view, accounting for 60 percent of all countries surveyed.

The fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized expanding high-level opening up and fostering win-win cooperation with the global community. In assessing the philosophy and practice of China's economic openness, the following aspects ranked top five in terms of recognition: "promoting innovation and green transformation through opening up," "adhering to institutional opening up," "enhancing industrial competitiveness through international circulation," "facilitating trade and investment," and "improving the intellectual property protection and fair competition systems." According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's total goods trade reached 37.31 trillion yuan (about $5.24 trillion) in the first ten months of this year, marking nine consecutive months of growth since February.

According to the survey, 79.8 percent of respondents praised China's favorable business environment as highly attractive to foreign investors; 78 percent believed their countries and companies benefit from trade with China; 74.9 percent supported their nations and enterprises participating in international cooperation initiatives led by China; and 84.3 percent stated that China plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Inclusiveness and shared benefits were key highlights of the enterprise exhibition in CIIE this year. For the first time, a dedicated "Products from Least-Developed Countries" section was established, which not only expanded the African product zone but also provided free exhibition space and tax benefits for unsold exhibits, directly connecting these products with the Chinese market.

The survey further revealed that 88.2 percent of respondents from Global South countries consider China's vast market an important development opportunity for their nations. Meanwhile, 78.8 percent believe trade between China and their countries is conducted fairly, 85.1 percent said their countries benefit from economic exchanges with China, and 85 percent expressed support for Global South nations actively participating in international cooperation programs and initiatives led by China.

China continues to play a vital role in global development, with its resilient economy contributing stability to the world economy. The continued success of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) over eight consecutive sessions demonstrates international confidence in China's economic outlook. The survey shows that 89.5 percent of global respondents recognize China's strong economic capabilities, 82 percent believe in China's sustained long-term growth fundamentals, and 86.4 percent commend China's recent contributions to the global economy while anticipating further momentum for worldwide recovery.  

This survey was conducted by CGTN in collaboration with the Institute for International Communication in the New Era at Renmin University of China. It targeted global respondents from both major developed and Global South countries. All respondents were adults aged 18 and above, with the sample reflecting the age and gender distribution of each country's census.