China's third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth has exceeded expectations, with high-tech manufacturing and innovation serving as primary drivers of the nation's economic recovery. Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has emerged as a major growth engine for the economy.
China's GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2026. The growth rate was higher than the second quarter's reading of 4.3 percent, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday. The country's economy expanded 4.6 percent year on year in the first nine months.
Wang Yiming, former deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, highlighted the critical role of technological progress in the recent economic performance.
"Robust tech innovation and rapid AI development are key highlights of China's economy in the first three quarters. AI is empowering all industries. Its frontier breakthroughs strengthen China's manufacturing competitiveness," he said.
To sustain this momentum, experts emphasize the need for deeper market integration. Guo Liyan, deputy director of the Institute of Investment Research at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, outlined strategies for maximizing the sector's investment potential.
"The key is to forge a positive cycle between AI technology supply, demand, investment and consumption," she said.
Robust tech innovation, rapid AI development key highlights of China's Q3 economic growth: experts
As China marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, a roughly 12,500-kilometer military odyssey, German writer Christian Y. Schmidt shared his and fellow author Volker Haering's extraordinary cycling journey retracing the the historic route with local audiences in Germany.
The Long March (1934-1936) was a military maneuver by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army that later became a defining episode in modern Chinese history, symbolizing endurance and perseverance as troops crossed some of the country's harshest terrain to establish a new revolutionary base. Some marched as far as 12,500 kilometers, enduring hunger, thirst and cold.
Schmidt and his friend, fellow writer Haering spent 138 days between 2023 and 2024, cycling nearly 7,000 kilometers along the historic route of the Chinese Red Army, starting from Ruijin County in east China's Jiangxi Province and heading northwest.
Their experiences have been compiled into a book titled "Der lange Fahrrad-Marsch: 7.000 Kilometer durch das Reich der Mitte".
Last week, Schmidt shared extraordinary journey with audiences at the Confucius Institute at Dusseldorf, drawing engagement from local attendees seeking fresh perspectives on Chinese modern history.
"I think we can take away an inspiration from this: As long as you keep moving forward, never give up, and always keep your eyes fixed on your goal, you will surely be able to keep going. And if you encounter difficulties along the way, you just have to find ways to overcome them," said Schmidt.
The presentation prompted reflections on endurance and modern development among the German audience.
"Mao Zedong once said, 'Nothing is impossible in the world if you dare to scale the heights.' I think this is precisely the spirit demonstrated during the Long March. Who could have imagined that after enduring such hardship, victory could still be achieved in the end? I think that is the lesson we can draw from it. In a sense, the memory of the Long March seems deeply etched into the genes of future generations," said Kneppel, an attendee.
"China's development is indeed nothing short of a miracle. China has achieved astonishing leaps in technological development. Driven by the government, China displays tremendous vitality, focus, and purposeful effort. The Chinese government unites people from all over the country to march toward the exact same goal, and I have witnessed this with my own eyes," said Maria, another attendee.
German writer shares 7,000 km Long March cycling journey with audiences
