How China embraces the world with open arms, boosts development for all

In his annual New Year message on the eve of 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the country's readiness to work with all countries to advance world peace and development.

From setting new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to introducing the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), Xi said China continued to embrace the world with open arms over the past year, and consistently stands on the right side of history.

Amid heightened uncertainty in 2025, China has put dialogue first and pursued win-win international cooperation, serving as a stabilizing anchor for the world and reflecting the nation's firm and steady strides on the global stage.

Embracing the world with open arms

As a guardian of the international order and a provider of global public goods, China has advanced the reform of global governance through practical steps, achieving concrete progress.

With Xi proposing the GGI, 2025 emerged as a pivotal year for global governance. Guided by a vision for a more just and equitable global governance system rooted in extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the GGI charts a practical path for improving global governance and is expected to galvanize nations' collective efforts in its implementation.

China plays an active part in global ecological governance. It has fully and effectively implemented the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Additionally, by setting its NDCs target for 2035 and putting forward the establishment of a Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership, China has taken measures to better address climate change.

In line with the needs of multilateral coordination, China firmly supports the United Nations in playing a central role. It has increased investment in the China-UN Peace and Development Fund and steadily advanced cooperation in related matters. In addition, China, together with more than 30 countries, has helped to set up the International Organization for Mediation headquartered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, contributing to the maintenance of global peace and stability through the rule of law.

In 2025, China has taken a lead in the diplomatic arena as the host country of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, deepening and expanding global partnerships based on equality, openness and cooperation.

China's commitment to improving the global governance system has offered a clear answer to the choices facing all nations between unity and division, dialogue and confrontation, win-win cooperation and zero-sum rivalry.

Shared opportunities

Highlighting the nation's solid advances on the path to Chinese modernization, Xi said the country's economic strength, scientific and technological abilities, defense capabilities and composite national strength all reached new heights as 2025 marks the completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

From ensuring economic resilience to enabling major breakthroughs in innovation and tangible improvements in people's livelihoods, China sought to energize high-quality development through innovation, turning itself into one of the economies with the fastest-growing innovation ecosystems, which has catalyzed the rapid development of new quality productive forces.

The number of AI enterprises in China has surpassed 4,500, reflecting the industry's boom. The "AI Plus" strategic initiative has been integrated into industries such as manufacturing, finance and healthcare, forming a new engine for economic growth. From the launch of large-scale AI models to the blending of embodied intelligence with existing industries, China's achievements in scientific and technological innovation have dazzled the world.

Furthermore, China's technology breakthroughs have accelerated the application of humanoid robots in automobile manufacturing, logistics handling and power inspection scenarios, among others, laying a solid foundation for the development of this trillion-yuan-scale future industry.

China's innovation has also been a boost to the global economy for the benefit of people around the world. For example, China's BeiDou navigation services cover more than 140 countries and regions in areas such as early disaster warning systems, transportation and agriculture. One notable example is the China-Brazil Science and Technology Innovation Center, which has made clean energy accessible in remote areas.

The country has also shared technologies with Mongolia, Saudi Arabia and other countries to help combat desertification, as well as smart agriculture methods and machinery, enabling Egypt to better cope with water shortages and food security challenges.

The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). "A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set." In his message, President Xi urged the nation to take solid steps to promote high-quality development, further deepen reform and opening up across the board, deliver prosperity for all, and write a new chapter in the story of China's miracle.