China's Jingdezhen, known as the Ceramic Capital, has connected the world through its exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese ceramics, which gained worldwide popularity dating back to the 16th century, according to Teresa Canepa, an international independent researcher and lecturer in Chinese export art.
In an interview with China Global Television (CGTN), Teresa emphasized that Jingdezhen has been a critical link between China and the world. She explained that since the 16th century, the exchange of craftsmanship and trade driven by Chinese ceramics has led to global admiration.
"They produced special orders for the European market. They produced special shapes for the Islamic market and special decorations, which actually were related to the customs that people had in the Middle East. So, these made Jingdezhen and Jingdezhen porcelain an important commodity and you would see that it was imitated all over the world, particularly the blue-and-white porcelain," said Teresa.
Reflecting on the journey of Chinese porcelain to the world, Teresa noted that when it first arrived in Europe, it was seen as a revolutionary new material, admired by all.
"In the Ming Dynasty, large quantities of porcelain were exported to Southeast Asia, to Japan, and to the Middle East. When the Portuguese began to trade directly with China in the early 16th Century, large quantities of porcelain were imported into Portugal and from there were distributed throughout Europe. When porcelain began to arrive in Europe, they admired this new material that it was much harder than anything they had. It had not only a practical aspect to it, but also a connotation of knowing about the world, of understanding what China was, and also the exoticism of owning these pieces that nobody else could own," said Teresa.
Chinese porcelain influenced the world, and vice versa. What's most important is that the craftsmen in Jingdezhen were able to adapt to and meet the demands of customers around the world, according to Teresa. "You see influences going from China to these countries, and from these countries going back to China. One of the important things of the porcelain potters and painters, particularly those of Jingdezhen, is that they adapted swiftly to the different requirements of their different customers in different parts of the world," said Teresa.
Chinese porcelain sparked worldwide craze in the 16th Century: expert
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
