Feeling the world 🔄🛒? The Chinese mainland is dialing up its game with a new "high-standard opening-up" strategy—and it’s a win-win for everyone. According to the 2025 World Openness Report from the Chinese mainland’s Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of World Economics and Politics, its openness index jumped 29.6% from 1990 to 2024, ranking it among the global top players.
So, what’s "high-standard opening-up" all about? Think beyond simply letting goods in and out. It’s about:
- Aligning local rules with big-league global norms (like property rights, fair competition, and transparent social credit systems) ⚖️
- Creating a stable, predictable scene for businesses and online entrepreneurs 💼
- Backing innovation hubs—hello digital economy! 💡
In pilot free trade zones (FTZs), that’s already happening IRL. The so-called "negative list" (sectors off-limits to overseas investment) shrunk from 190 items in 2013 to just 27 now. Manufacturing? Fully open. 🚀
Why care? Because this move helps the Chinese mainland shift from just rapid growth to "high-quality" development—think smarter tech, greener energy, and cooler startups. It also pushes back against global protectionism, like the tariff battles we’ve seen in recent years.
And there’s more: the Chinese mainland is gearing up to join big-deal trade pacts such as CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) and DEPA (Digital Economy Partnership Agreement). Even before officially hopping on board, these steps signal a serious commitment to playing by global rules—and powering up a virtuous cycle where openness sparks progress, and progress drives more openness. 🌍💪
Whether you’re ordering the latest smartphone from Seoul or launching a fintech app in Jakarta, this high-standard opening-up means smoother cross-border trade, fairer competition, and more space to innovate. That’s a global win that impacts your next click, swipe, or startup pitch—straight from the influencer smartphone in your hand. 📲✨
Reference(s):
High-standard opening up: China's path to shared global prosperity
cgtn.com
