GT Voice: China Adds Greater Possibilities and Dynamism to Global Trade

By Global Times

Nov 28, 2025 12:24 AM

In an era marked by growing trade protectionism, some Western media outlets persist in promoting narratives that distort the Chinese economy. 

A Financial Times article, headlined "China is making trade impossible," exemplifies this trend. While admitting that China is still an importer of a wide range of goods and services, including semiconductors, software, commercial aircraft and most sophisticated kinds of production machinery, the article published on Wednesday claimed that "There is nothing that China wants to import, nothing it does not believe it can make better and cheaper," questioning what China would want to import in the future.

This perspective fundamentally misrepresents China's actual role in global trade. Rather than "making trade impossible," China is making it more dynamic and mutually beneficial, creating unprecedented opportunities for countries around the world through its evolving import demand and unwavering commitment to openness. For 16 consecutive years, China has maintained its position as the world's second-largest import market, consistently expanding market access even at a time when global trade protectionism is on the rise. 

First, China's import trade not only meets its own development needs but also serves as a crucial link connecting its domestic and international economic cycles. It has become a powerful magnet for global goods and resource factors based on its own requirements, while simultaneously offering broader market space and cooperation opportunities to other countries. 

In 2024, China maintained import and export records in its trade with nearly all countries and regions classified by the UN, achieving trade growth with more than 160 partners and standing as a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions. From 2021 to 2024, China's cumulative imports of consumer goods reached 7.4 trillion yuan ($1.04 trillion), according to data from the Economic Daily.

Second, the narrative that "China doesn't want to import" ignores the profound structural transformation of China's economy. Gone are the days when China's growth relied solely on scale expansion and low-end manufacturing. Today, its industrial chain is advancing rapidly toward higher value, greater intelligence, and greener practices, and in this process, demand for high-quality intermediate goods continues to expand.

Import statistics offer compelling evidence of this trend. In the first three quarters of 2025, mechanical and electrical products and high-tech products ranked first and second in China's import categories, according to Chinese customs data. 

This data underscores a clear reality that Chinese manufacturing is becoming more deeply integrated with global supply chains. China is not pursuing self-reliance in isolation; rather, it is actively integrating into global industrial networks. By importing high-quality intermediate goods, it continuously boosts the competitiveness of its own industries and propels industrial upgrading. This deepening interdependence reflects both the broader momentum of global economic integration and the internal requirements of China's own development.

Third, the profound transformation of China's consumer market has injected diverse vitality into its import demand. As household incomes rise and Generation Z becomes the mainstay of spending, Chinese consumers have shifted their focus from "meeting basic needs" to "pursuing quality." Imported goods once considered niche are now entering mainstream households, with sales growing consistently.

The recently concluded 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) served as a compelling case in point. The import expo recorded $83.49 billion in one-year intended deals, up 4.4 percent from the previous edition and hitting a new high, according to the CIIE Bureau. With 4,108 companies from 155 countries and regions involved in the event, the breadth and sophistication of imported goods showed that China's "import appetite" is not shrinking but evolving toward higher-tier and more diversified offerings. As the world's first national-level import expo, the CIIE has achieved cumulative intended transactions exceeding $583 billion over eight sessions.

Ironically, as China opens its doors wider to the world, some in the West, while maintaining export controls on advanced technologies to China, complain that China "doesn't want imports." This logic is self-contradictory. US-led chip export restrictions and stringent regulations on high-end equipment technology transfers by some Western countries artificially obstruct legitimate channels for China to import sophisticated goods, and then these same parties blame China for trade imbalances. Isn't that ridiculous? China has never shunned imports. If Western countries lift their technical barriers, they will find ample room for growth in trade with China.

Global trade thrives on complementary advantages, which are never permanent. Clinging to an outdated narrative of "China producing low-end, the West supplying high-end," and focusing solely on the challenge of substitution in certain traditional industries while ignoring the new opportunities arising from advanced manufacturing, the green economy, and consumption upgrading, will only lead to missed opportunities amid unnecessary anxiety.

The shift in China's import demand from "quantitative expansion" to "qualitative upgrading" represents both an inevitable outcome of its economic development and a fresh opportunity for global trade. It provides a vast market for advanced technologies and premium products from developed economies while opening pathways for distinctive goods from developing nations.

The truth is clear: In an era of global economic uncertainty, China's commitment to openness and its evolving import demand are making global trade more possible than ever, offering a path toward shared prosperity for all.