China's openness creates opportunity for the globe

China's high-quality development, underpinned by openness, innovation and inclusive growth, is bringing heightened certainty to a world grappling with mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainties, officials and experts said on Friday during the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing.

They made the remarks at one of the parallel subforums of the two-day meeting, called "Inter-civilization Exchanges and Mutual Learning: Global Development and Prosperity".

"China's development has shifted from a phase of rapid growth to one of high-quality growth — marked by innovation, coordination, green development, openness and sharing," said Jiang Xiaojuan, president of the China Society of Industrial Economics. "Through openness, China is providing stability and creating opportunities for the world."

China's research and development spending reached 3.61 trillion yuan ($496.3 billion) in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent, accounting for 2.68 percent of total GDP, according to data released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Jiang, who was also former deputy secretary-general of the State Council — the country's Cabinet — said that such a strong commitment to innovation has enabled China to contribute significantly to global scientific progress. She cited Deep-Seek, an open-source generative AI model, as a prime example — empowering other countries with advanced digital tools at affordable cost and standing as a model of open-source global technological public good.

Hailing China's inclusive approach, Tozen Leokana, minister of education and human resources development of the Solomon Islands, said: "We believe knowledge and technology are not privileges of the few, but essential tools for sustainable development. China's openness helps bridge inequalities and supports inclusive progress."

Wee Ka Siong, president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, praised the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative, citing tangible achievements in infrastructure development, education exchanges and digital cooperation. "The Global Civilization Initiative promotes mutual understanding, respect and peaceful development among nations," he said.

Zhang Yuyan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and president of the China Society of World Economy, said, "Openness brings advancement, while isolation leads to stagnation — history has proven us this time and again." Zhang also warned against resurgent protectionism and zero-sum thinking.