Opinion | Firm stance on opening-up reflects coordination of China's domestic and foreign policies
The Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) officially launched island-wide special customs operations on December 18, with a package of policies including zero tariffs and preferential tax ratestaking effects, marking another milestone in China's opening-up.
Furthermore, the Hainan FTP was referenced at the recently concluded annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing as a key component of China's economic strategy for 2026. Specifically, the meeting emphasized the importance of steadily advancing institutional opening up and expanding self-initiated opening up in the service sector in an orderly manner, as well as making solid progress in developing the Hainan FTP.
Cai Tongjuan, Deputy Dean and Research Fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, noted that a firm stance on opening up reflects China's coordination of domestic and foreign policies. She added that China's opening up is not only for implementing a series of combined policies, such as a new round of endogenous economic growth, industrial upgrading, expanding domestic demand and further opening up, but also sends a clear signal to the international community that, while focusing on strengthening the development of its domestic market, China is willing to continue acting as an active participant in and "stabilizer" of global economic governance. China embraces cooperation opportunities with an open attitude and promotes common development through cooperation.
In a recent interview with China Youth Daily, Cai discussed the "1+10" Dialogue, which was recently held in Beijing by Chinese Premier Li Qiang with heads of major international economic organizations. Cai said that by engaging in high-level dialogue with international economic organizations, China is sending a clear message to its global and Chinese partners. It remains committed to openness, multilateralism, cooperation and win-win outcomes, and is willing to contribute to global stability and growth. At the same time, China is issuing a subtle warning against attempts to securitize trade and economic issues, or to politicize industrial, technological and financial chains, emphasizing that such issues should not be excessively securitized or politicized.
She added that China hopes to stress that, regardless of changes in the international environment, it is willing to pursue an independent, open and cooperative path while promoting improvements to international mechanisms and rules. This would provide a stable and fair platform for cooperation among all countries and oppose the sentimentalization or confrontation of economic cooperation.
Against a backdrop of sluggish global economic growth, rising protectionism, trade frictions, geopolitical instability, supply chain restructuring and accelerated green and technological transformation, China's economic policy has adopted a "dual-engine" approach. Cai explained that this involves enhancing the resilience and autonomy of the domestic economy to reduce dependence on external shocks, while maintaining connectivity, competition and cooperation with the rest of the world to secure more international opportunities. She believed this implies a focus on consumption, domestic demand, industrial upgrading, and technological innovation, while maintaining openness to the outside world and promoting cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, green development, technological cooperation, and transnational infrastructure.
Looking ahead to the new year, Cai predicted that China's international cooperation in areas such as green economic transformation, technological innovation, restructuring the global supply and industrial chains, financial stability and cooperation, and establishing multilateral mechanisms and rules would be particularly noteworthy. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)
