An International Monetary Fund (IMF) envoy praised China's resilient growth and expanding tech strength, highlighting the global importance of policy signals emerging from the country's ongoing "two sessions."
In an exclusive interview with China Media Group, IMF's chief representative in China Marshall Mills said this year's "two sessions" have sent clear signals on policy direction, framing them as pivotal for sustaining growth.
The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both bodies serve a five-year term and hold a plenary session each year, generally in March.
The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.
That momentum was reflected in Thursday's government work report, which showed China’s GDP expanding by 5 percent year-on-year.
Just two weeks ago, the IMF released a report following its 2025 Article IV consultation with China, highlighting the economy's resilience amid multiple external shocks and praising the country's macro policy support for shoring up growth.
"China's growth has been resilient over the past year based on additional policy stimulus and strong exports despite a number of shocks. That was very positive," Mills said.
He believes that China serves as more than a key engine of global growth -- it also stands as a model for many developing nations to emulate.
"We think that China contributes about 30 percent of global growth over the past few years, and we look for that to continue. So that's very positive and that has helped with this resilient foundation to the economy. And I think that can serve as a good example to other countries," Mills said.
Mills highlighted China’s progress in artificial intelligence, citing strong digital infrastructure, robust research capacity, and expanding application scenarios that signal considerable future potential.
"China is well placed with digital infrastructure which is well-developed by any standard. And China also has successful large language models such as Deepseek. So this is positive. Globally, we've estimated that AI could increase productivity growth by 0.1 to 0.8 percent annually," he said.
IMF envoy hails China's resilient growth, tech advances as "two sessions" set global policy tone
A Chinese national working in Iran has recounted his firsthand experience of the conflict's disruption of daily life, from a nationwide internet blackout to soaring living costs and constant fear of airstrikes, as U.S.-Israeli military attacks on the country entered their 19th day on Wednesday.
Mr. Wang, the Chinese national who has been living and working in Iran for six years, has witnessed the escalating conflict firsthand since the U.S. and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes against the country on Feb 28.
For local residents and foreign nationals like Mr. Wang, the conflict has brought sweeping disruptions to even the most basic aspects of daily life, starting with a total internet shutdown across the country.
"Due to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, the entire country of Iran has been under an internet blackout for almost a week now, and we have no idea how much longer it will last. Without internet, we can't do anything at all," Mr. Wang said.
Compounding the digital isolation is the severe economic strain driven by the conflict, which has exacerbated the impact of long-standing U.S. sanctions on Iran's economy.
"Due to the U.S. sanctions on Iran, the country's currency is now severely depreciated, and prices have risen very sharply, which has affected the quality of life of the local people and ourselves. Especially for meat products, we can hardly afford meat anymore," he said.
While access to daily necessities remains stable for now, the constant, round-the-clock airstrikes have inflicted severe psychological stress on people across the country, shattering any sense of safety in their own homes.
"The U.S. and Israel are carrying out airstrikes on Iran every single day. We are frequently jolted awake by explosions in the middle of the night, too afraid to sleep. The entire house shakes, leaving us in a state of constant anxiety. Fortunately, supplies in the supermarkets remain relatively adequate," Wang said.
As the conflict drags on with no clear end in sight, Mr. Wang and other Chinese nationals in Iran have thought about leaving, but face huge, daunting barriers to evacuating safely.
"We have thought about evacuating, but all flights have been suspended now. The place we're staying is very far from the border crossings, and we're worried about safety on the road. So right now, we're following the arrangements of our consulate here, staying at home and not moving around, waiting for the war to end. If the situation eases even a little, we will consider returning to China. If the war stops altogether, then we can go back to our normal lives again," he said.
The U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with strikes targeting the North Pars gas field, prompting Iran to retaliate against regional energy facilities. The attacks have driven oil prices higher, raising fears of a major energy crisis if the region's key energy infrastructure continues to be hit.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, top security official Ali Larijani, senior military commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets across the Middle East.
Chinese national in Iran tells of people's "constant anxiety" amid US-Israeli strikes
