Nearly 100 guests from the Chinese and American business, academic, and media sectors gathered in New York Friday to discuss new opportunities brought to the world by China's blueprint for high-quality development.
The "China in Springtime: China's Development Opportunities for the World" high-level dialogue, hosted by China Media Group, came after the "two sessions" concluded in Beijing, an event watched closely by many industry leaders in the United States.
Speakers said that as a key window into contemporary China, the annual "two sessions" once again drew global attention. This year's meetings approved important documents, including the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). This roadmap for China's high-quality growth is seen as providing a new list of opportunities for the world.
Participants emphasized that China's development cannot be separated from the world, and global prosperity also requires China. They described this year as significant for China-U.S. relations, calling for a steady, sound, and sustainable development in bilateral ties that benefits both nations and the world.
During the session, guests from the investment and technology sectors explored topics such as the potential for China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as the global opportunities arising from technological innovation and new quality productive forces.
The event also featured screenings of CMG-produced programs, including an amazing martial arts performance presented by a dozen humanoid robots with young Kungfu artists at the recently staged Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched TV show.
The dialogue series will be held in countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
High-level dialogue in New York brings China's development opportunities to world
High-level dialogue in New York brings China's development opportunities to world
China's first 500-kV cross-border alternating-current power interconnection project entered service Monday, creating the highest voltage grid tie between the two countries and advancing Belt and Road energy cooperation.
The project raises two-way power transfer capacity between the two countries from 50,000 kW to 1.5 million kW, enabling the annual transmission of about 3 billion kWh of clean electricity, roughly 30 times the capacity of previous lines, according to China Southern Power Grid.
As the largest cross-border grid project and the highest-voltage power link between China and Laos, it connects southwest China's Yunnan Province with Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces in northern Laos.
Cross-border electricity trading began as the project entered operation. About 4.81 million kWh of power from clean energy bases in northern Laos was transmitted to Yunnan through the new line, marking a more regular and institutionalized phase of power connectivity between the two countries.
It is also the first time an overseas new energy project has participated in China's electricity market, the company said. The power involved in the transaction came from a large mountain photovoltaic project in Laos, one of the core supporting power sources for the interconnection line.
"This project is the cross-border power grid project with the highest voltage level between China and Laos. Leveraging the China-Laos power grid interconnection and the power markets in southern China, surplus hydropower from Laos can be transmitted to China during the rainy season, while China can supply supplemental power to northern Laos during the dry season. This project represents yet another landmark achievement between China and Laos in deepening power cooperation and jointly advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Li Jingru, general manager of Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), a joint venture of China Southern Power Grid and Lao state-run Electricite du Laos.
The solar project has an average annual power generation capacity of about 1.65 billion kWh. In 2026, it is expected to transmit about 1.1 billion kWh of solar power across the border, supporting energy complementarity between the two countries.
"In the future, efforts will be made to further promote normalized cross-border electricity trading, meet the trading needs such as electricity transmission from Laos to China's Yunnan, from China's Yunnan to Laos, and from Laos to China's Guangdong, and facilitate the optimal allocation of energy resources in the Lancang-Mekong region," said Li Minhong, marketing director of China Southern Power Grid.
Construction of the interconnection project began in late February last year. Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section.
New China-Laos power link expands transfer capacity 30-fold, boosts electricity trading
