Foreign envoys, business representatives amazed by China's devt roadmap, confident in its growth prospects

This photo taken on March 5, 2025, shows the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. The third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will hold its opening meeting here Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

The world's attention is on China's two sessions this week. A number of ambassadors, foreign journalists, and business representatives, who are closely following this year's key political gatherings that offer a critical window into China's development roadmap for 2025, told the Global Times that the world is expected to witness new momentum for innovative growth from China's high-quality development.

China has set an economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2025, reflecting a sound economic outlook despite increasing global uncertainties, as policymakers are determined to secure steady recovery through decisive and effective measures, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Chinese government has set a GDP growth target of around 5 percent [for 2025], which is likely the result of careful consideration. It is believed that under the current economic environment, China can achieve this goal, Salvador Moncada, Ambassador of Honduras to China, told the Global Times on Thursday.

It is positive, and not only for Latin America, since China is now a significant commercial partner of many countries in the world and also the provider of cooperation and assistance, Moncada noted.

When discussing China's 2025 economic growth target, Phan Thi Tra My, chairwoman of the Business Association of Vietnam in China, stated that the growth goal of around 5 percent reflects the Chinese government's prudent assessment of the current domestic and international economic landscape while also demonstrating a strong commitment to sustaining high-quality development.

"As foreign enterprises operating in China, we can feel that China's economy continues to grow steadily," Tra My said.

Tra My emphasized that China, as the world's second-largest economy, is also Vietnam's largest trading partner within ASEAN and its fourth-largest trading partner globally. China's stable and sustained growth will create more trade and investment opportunities for Vietnam. "This will also help Vietnam accelerate its own economic growth and development by expanding exports and attracting more Chinese investment."

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations. As a Vietnamese entrepreneur working and living in China, I particularly look forward to seeing deeper cooperation between businesses from both countries in cultural education, talent exchange, and technology," she told the Global Times. "Through educational and technological exchanges, we can foster more in-depth and practical collaboration between enterprises in Vietnam and China."

The Global Times reporters also noticed that at the two sessions venues, foreign reporters are eager to learn more about China's growth and its roadmap for achieving its development goal.

Alex McCutcheon, an Australian reporter working for Hong Kong Satellite TV, is more seasoned, as he has been covering the two sessions since 2019. He is interested in how the government will roll out concrete measures to boost the economy and improve people's livelihood, minimizing the impact of a turbulent world.

As artificial intelligence (AI) is developing quickly, McCutcheon also wants to hear about the regulation of this novel technology.

Milko Zivkovic, who works for daily newspaper Nova Makedonija and has come to China for the first time, is interested in the economy and technology. He is also impressed by people's openness and the sharing of information. "The process has deepened my understanding of China's democracy."

Marco Balarezo, Ambassador of Peru to China, told the Global Times that during this year's two sessions, he is most focused on keywords such as "high-quality development," "green transition," and "technological innovation."

China is moving toward a higher stage of development, he said, noting that as China develops, countries like Peru also stand to benefit.

China has now entered a new stage of high-quality development, Balarezo said. He noted that China has been driving innovation across various industries, not only fostering new industries but also introducing new technologies into traditional sectors.

Balarezo said he was particularly impressed by China's advancements in AI. Given that AI has become one of the most globally discussed topics, he is even more optimistic about China's development prospects, he noted.

During an interview with state news service China.com.cn at the two sessions' venues on Wednesday, Moncada said he downloaded DeepSeek on his smartphone, and found it very useful. He said it's a very significant achievement by China in the application of AI, and since it's not paid and open source, it's going to benefit everybody.

Aya Shimizu, assistant general manager of the Beijing office of the Japan-China Economic Association, also took note of the rapid rise of innovative companies such as DeepSeek in China. "I use DeepSeek for some of my work myself and find it very useful," she told the Global Times, describing her impression of China's current technological innovation. "Not long ago, I saw a news report saying that Shenzhen had officially deployed its first batch of 'AI civil servants.' My first reaction was, 'This is so China!'"

Regarding China's overall economic performance, Shimizu acknowledged that while the country faces challenges in areas such as employment and real estate, it remains, on the whole, an economy with strong growth potential.

Shimizu noted that Japanese businesses welcome the continued stable development of China's economy, adding that if China achieves its target of around 5 percent growth, it will help attract more Japanese companies to invest in the country.