Ambassador Jiang Wei speaks at Spring Festival celebration
Authored by H.E. Jiang Wei, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Antigua and Barbuda
In March, 2026, China successfully held the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. A series of important documents like the Government Work Report have been reviewed and approved, which set clear development goals for 2026 and key directions of the China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), drawing a new blueprint for China’s development, bringing new opportunities to the global economy.
Through the annual Two Sessions, the world can see how a major country with over 1.4 billion people aggregates diverse social demands into national policies and transforms broad public opinions into political consensus and effective governance actions. At this year’s Two Sessions, some 5,000 deputies and members brought with them insights from field research in rural areas, public opinions from communities and neighborhoods, and thoughts from frontline work. They pooled their wisdom to discuss plans for advancing Chinese modernization, demonstrating the vivid practice of whole-process people’s democracy.
China’s economy exhibits strong and vibrant dynamism. In the past year, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5 percent, reaching 140.19 trillion yuan. 12.67 million urban jobs were created, and the average surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent. The number of employed people among those lifted out of poverty remained at over 30 million. Foreign trade registered rapid growth, significant advances were made in export diversification, and a basic equilibrium was maintained in the balance of payments. New quality productive forces grew steadily, and numerous new advances were made in science and technology.
China led the way in the research, development, and application of artificial intelligence (AI), biomedicine, robotics, and quantum technology. China’s R&D spending reached 2.8 percent of GDP, and the value of technology contract transactions rose by 10.8 percent. And the value added of core digital economy industries exceeded 10.5 percent of GDP. Over the past five years, Chinese economy has grown at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent, accounting for around 30 percent of global growth.
High-standard opening up has advanced steadily with solid stride. As this year’s Government Work Report sets out major tasks for 2026, calling for expanding high-standard opening up, continue to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation, steadily expand opening up at the institutional level, and promote broader international economic flows, so as to advance reform and development through opening up. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly puts forward that China will build new institutions for a more open economy, promote the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization to share opportunities with the rest of the world and promote common development.
China will firmly advance the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future. In 2025, trade between China and Latin America and the Caribbean reached US$565.28 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%, marking the second consecutive year that trade has exceeded US$500 billion, with a growth rate higher than that of China’s overall foreign trade. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States last May, and announced the launch of five programs which are Solidarity Program, Development Program, Civilization Program, Peace Program and People-to-People Program, pointing the direction for the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future.
Focusing on five programs, China’s Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean was released last December, providing a comprehensive explanation of the new ideas, proposals and initiatives in China’s Latin America and Caribbean policy for the new era. During this year’s Two Sessions, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that China-LAC cooperation is about the mutual help and support between Global South countries. China-LAC relations grew significantly in the past 50-plus years. The key lies in the fact that China always respects Latin American people and commits to equal treatment and mutual benefit with LAC countries. China never engages in geopolitical schemes, nor interferes in other countries’ internal affairs, nor asks others to pick sides. Cooperation between China and LAC countries does not target any third party and should not be subject to interference by any third party. China has great confidence in the future of China-LAC relations.
As the China’s Government Work Report points out, Chinese modernization is characterized by common prosperity for all its people. The 2026 Budget Statement of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda also puts forward the people-centered growth and development. Standing at a new starting point, China is ready to work with Antigua and Barbuda to deepen experience sharing on governance, better align development strategies, move forward with both major signature projects and “small and beautiful” public wellbeing projects, and expand practical cooperation in all fields to deliver more benefits to our peoples.
We continue to love China and it’s commitment to our infrastructural development