China's export in the first quarter of 2025 exceeded six trillion yuan (about 820 billion U.S. dollars) despite complex and severe external environment, said an official of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
Lyu Daliang, head of GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis, said that China's export scale achieved a relatively fast growth of 6.9 percent in the first quarter.
Answering a media inquiry on the momentum of China's export growth, Lyu said the country exported more goods to over 170 countries and regions.
"In terms of the demand from the international market, in the first quarter, the global manufacturing PMI averaged 49.9 percent, higher than the last quarter of 2024 and the same period last year. Specifically, the manufacturing sectors in Asia and Africa were in expansion territory in March. Customs data showed China's exports to these regions grew by 7.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively. In the EU and Britain, the rising quarter-on-quarter consumer spending and stable consumer confidence indexes further boosted their demands for Chinese products. Overall, in the first quarter, China achieved growth in its exports to over 170 countries and regions," said Lyu.
"In terms of domestic industrial innovation, China's manufacturing sector is demonstrating robust momentum in its transition toward high-end, smart, and green production. Foreign trade entities were quick to respond to the diverse demands of the global market, continuously launching new, trendy, and hot products, reinvigorating their competitiveness. And in the field of consumer goods, China-chic goods have come out in a continuous flow, earning widespread recognition and acclaim worldwide. In the first quarter, China's exports of sports equipment to the EU and cosmetics to Southeast Asia both achieved double-digit growth," said Lyu.
"Currently, China's export faces a complex and severe external environment, but 'the sky won't collapse.' Over the recent years, China has actively built a diversified market and deepened industrial and supply chain collaboration with all parties. These efforts have not only empowered the development of other countries but also enhanced our own resilience. Meanwhile, China's vast domestic market serves as an important home front. We will remain steadfast in focusing on our own affairs and respond to the uncertainty of external environment with our own certainty," he said.
China's export grows in Q1
China's export grows in Q1
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
