Seeking an anchor of stability in an uncertain world

Editor's note: Qi Yaping is an observer of international affairs. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

We are now living in an uncertain world. Changes in the world are more profound than ever – humanity is accelerating into the era of artificial intelligence (AI), where technologies like AI are transitioning from science fiction to reality, bringing revolutionary convenience alongside unprecedented and complex challenges.

Turmoil in the world is more unpredictable than ever – regional conflicts are surging and escalating, with political solutions often loud in rhetoric but lacking in action, while security risks continue to spread and spill over. In such a world intertwined with change and turmoil, stability and predictability have become truly scarce commodities.

A UN report indicates that global economic growth expectations for 2026 are significantly lower than in previous years, with widespread weak momentum across the global economy. Against this backdrop, China's economy has bucked the trend, achieving remarkable and eye-catching accomplishments, rightfully earning its reputation as a "stabilizing anchor" for the world.

Thanks to optimized industrial structures and technological innovation, China's economy has demonstrated robust resilience in 2025, continuously injecting critical momentum into global growth. At the same time, Europe, as one of the world's major economic forces, has also achieved stability and improvement in 2025. Amid generally sluggish global growth, China-Europe cooperation is not only an inevitable choice for the development of both sides, but also a shared expectation of the international community.

Cooperation unfolds in time

The "steadiness" of China's economic development is rooted in the Chinese government's forward-looking, medium- to long-term strategic planning. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee reviewed and adopted recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, clearly conveying to the world China's unwavering commitment to expanding opening-up and steadfastly forging a path of Chinese modernization.

Over the half-century since diplomatic relations were established, economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe has deepened steadily on a solid foundation. The recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly call for expanding international circulation, steadily advancing institutional opening up, resolutely upholding the multilateral trading system and solidly promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

The new European Commission's Strategic Foresight Report 2025 – Resilience 2.0: Empowering the EU to Thrive amid Turbulence and Uncertainty also argues that long-term economic resilience must be built to address the challenges of the complex international landscape. From this perspective, China and Europe joining hands to draw a new blueprint for cooperation aligns closely with their strategic interests and shared aspirations. It will undoubtedly benefit their respective peoples and inject indispensable vitality and confidence into global economic development and order.

Development converges consensus

Political leaders and experts across Europe have responded enthusiastically to China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, expressing high expectations and broadly sharing the view that China's development will open broader avenues for deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Former German MP Zaklin Nastic emphasized that China's development achievements offer valuable insights for Germany and Global South countries. Slovenian Finance Minister Klemen Bostjancic expressed hope to draw on China's valuable experience in implementing innovation-driven development strategies. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that China's development path not only benefits its own people but also creates historic opportunities for shared prosperity worldwide.

Win-win forges the future

China's 15th Five-Year Plan is expected to present the world with a grand vision of shared development opportunities, an unwavering commitment to open cooperation and joint progress toward a community with a shared future for humanity. As two major forces advancing multipolarity, two major markets supporting globalization and two major civilizations championing diversity, China and Europe have vast and profound potential to deepen cooperation amid the shifting dynamics of our times.

The recent "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle dispute stands as concrete proof that China and Europe not only should but also can resolve differences through dialogue and engage in effective, mutually beneficial cooperation.

Looking ahead, as long as both sides maintain a rational and pragmatic attitude, embrace openness and inclusiveness, continuously strengthen the foundation of economic, trade and investment cooperation, actively foster new growth drivers in areas like AI, digital economy and green transformation, and make full use of resources like visa-free policies, sister-city relations, and direct flights to facilitate frequent exchanges, China-Europe friendship will endure and thrive, and China-Europe cooperation will grow from strength to strength.

The trend of the world is vast and mighty. The more turbulent and unpredictable the international situation becomes, the greater the responsibility China and Europe bear to provide greater stability and certainty for the world. It's believed that deepening win-win cooperation between these two major economies will inject strong momentum into global development, steer global governance in the right direction and build a broader consensus to enhance human well-being.

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