China remains largest driver of world economic growth: official

China's economy has outperformed expectations and the country has remained the largest driver of global economic growth, said a senior Chinese economic official at the 2025-2026 Annual Conference on China's Economy held in Beijing on Saturday.

The conference, organized by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), focused on implementing the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference, which was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday as Chinese leaders decided priorities for the economic work in 2026.

Officials attending the annual conference described this year as one of particular significance and complexity in advancing Chinese modernization, adding that said China is on track to meet its major economic and social development targets, with the 14th Five-Year Plan drawing to a successful conclusion.

They also noted that international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Goldman Sachs, have recently raised their growth forecasts for China for this and next year.

The IMF on Wednesday raised its forecast for China's economic growth in 2025 to 5 percent year on year, up by 0.2 percentage points from its previous estimate in October, and projected China's economy to grow by 4.5 percent in 2026, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the October prediction.

Goldman Sachs in late November raised its China GDP growth forecast to 4.8 percent for 2026, after seeing "China's surprising strength in exports and its commitment to more advanced manufacturing in a new Five-Year Plan".

"Over the past year, China's economy has moved forward under pressure, advancing toward higher-quality and innovation-driven growth, and demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. Major economic indicators have outperformed expectations. Many institutions forecast economic growth of around 5 percent for the full year, and China remains the largest driver of global economic growth," said Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.

Officials also said China will stay committed to opening up next year and deepen win-win cooperation across sectors by expanding exports and imports, as it works to ensure the sustainable growth of foreign trade.

"Opening-up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. China will steadily expand institutional opening-up, further open its services sector in an orderly manner, and optimize the layout and scope of pilot free trade zones. In 2025, China's foreign trade demonstrated strong resilience and achieved growth despite headwinds. Looking ahead to next year, China will encourage and support exports of services, actively develop digital trade and green trade, expand exports while increasing imports, and promote the sustainable development of foreign trade," said Han.

China's total economic output for the year is expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan (about 19.8 trillion U.S. dollars), said Han.

China remains largest driver of world economic growth: official

South China's Guangdong Province is promoting bird-friendly netting in agricultural fields to protect migratory birds while safeguarding farmers' livelihoods.

Since the beginning of this month, nearly 130,000 migratory birds have arrived in Guangdong, using the region's farmlands, orchards, and fishponds as natural feeding grounds.

This has led to significant crop damage for local farmers.

"Sometimes, over 100 birds descend on our fields. They completely ruin the vegetable leaves, making them unfit for human consumption," said Zhong Jinchuan, a farmer from Huidong County in the province's Huizhou City.

As it is the peak season for winter vegetable planting, many farmers have erected simple anti-bird netting in their fields to protect their crops. However, these nets often pose serious risks to wildlife.

"Once erected, birds could only see the poles. The netting itself isn't always easily visible. If birds fly into it, their claws, feathers, and beaks can become entangled, causing them serious injury," said Li Yi, an official with the Forestry Bureau of Huizhou City.

Recognizing the challenge, local authorities have replaced these harmful nets with safe, bird-friendly alternatives. These new nets feature thicker cords and smaller mesh sizes, which deter birds without trapping them.

"This net uses thicker cords and has smaller mesh openings, so when birds hit it, their feet don't get caught. They just bounce off and fly away. Our vegetables stay safe, and the birds aren't harmed either," said Zhong.

Guangdong has also introduced policies to compensate farmers for crop losses caused by protected wildlife, including migratory birds.

Guangdong promotes bird-friendly netting to protect migratory birds, farm fields