China's Yangtze River Delta region has registered robust foreign trade this year, featuring a competitive high-end manufacturing sector and diversified trading partners in the global market.
From January to November, the total value of imports and exports of the region amounted to 14.56 trillion yuan (about 2 trillion U.S. dollars), marking a five-percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 36.6 percent of the national total, according to customs data.
The export of high-end equipment in the region reached 228.45 billion yuan in the 11 months, an increase of 53.3 percent year on year.
Customs officers said the export growth was driven by the full-fledged industrial chain and transport network in the region, which have effectively helped companies cut costs in production and logistics.
"The Yangtze River Delta region has established multiple mature equipment manufacturing industrial clusters covering new energy vehicles, new marine equipment, and the low-altitude economy. The full-fledged industrial chain has helped companies lower their production costs, while the well-developed land, sea, and air transport network has helped to cut their logistics costs a lot. All these have significantly boosted the transport efficiency and global competitiveness of their products," said Feng Chunming, head of the statistics and analysis division of Hangzhou Customs.
The trade growth can also be partly attributable to a growing number of overseas partners, especially emerging markets like ASEAN, Latin America and Africa, all posting rising demand for integrated circuits and new energy vehicles.
In the first 11 months, the Yangtze River Delta region's imports and exports to ASEAN, Latin America and Africa grew by 7.4 percent, 6.9 percent, and 9.4 percent year on year, respectively.
High-end manufacturing, diversified partners drive foreign trade in Yangtze River Delta
China's push toward a greener future is once again in the spotlight at this year's annual political "two sessions", as lawmakers are reviewing a draft ecological environment code, a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive legal framework for ecological protection.
The draft code was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.
Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020.
The rule of law has been continuously strengthened to support the country's green progress. China already has more than 30 laws related to environmental protection, along with over 100 sets of administrative regulations and more than 1,000 sets of local rules.
The latest legislative move comes amid China's historic gains in ecological conservation over the past decade or so. Championing green development, the country has recorded the world's fastest growth in forest resources and afforestation, led globally in renewable energy development, and achieved one of the fastest national reductions in energy intensity worldwide.
The 1,242-article draft has five chapters, covering areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
Scholars involved in drafting the legislation say the code goes beyond broad legal principles. It is also designed to address environmental issues that affect people's daily lives.
"Electric vehicles are becoming very common in China. My family has one. We all think it environment-friendly. But have you ever thought about this question: how do we deal with the first generation of EV batteries after they expire a few years later? The same goes for wind turbine blades and solar panels," said Ding Lin, assistant professor of the Renmin University of China.
China's environmental progress has drawn global attention in recent years, from improving air quality to expanding renewable energy. Yet amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, some observers have questioned whether the country will maintain the same pace of green transition.
"Last year during the COP30, even some friends who are very familiar with China asked me whether China will continue its green development path. I told them we have gradually worked out new policies. We have a very clear direction and goal. In a world full of uncertainties, we are providing the most certainty," said Wang Yi, an NPC deputy from east China's Zhejiang Province and professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a country pursuing modernization, taking the time to codify environmental laws sends a clear message: economic growth and environmental protection are not a trade-off to be managed, but a commitment to be upheld. For China, a beautiful environment is not a luxury for the future, it is a right for the present, and a responsibility to the next generation.
"This code reflects China's vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It shows how development and environmental protection can move forward together," said Lyu Zhongmei, vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.
China will accelerate the green transition across the board and cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by a total of 17 percent in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development submitted to the NPC for deliberation on March 5.
Chinese lawmakers review draft ecological environment code in major green legislative push
