The rapid development of new quality productive forces, represented by embodied intelligence and artificial intelligence within the modern industrial system, has provided strong new momentum for the economy in the first quarter. From artificial intelligence to quantum technology, from bio-manufacturing to green energy, China continues to deepen its efforts at the frontiers of technology, committing to technological inclusivity and widespread empowerment. It is transforming its super-sized market advantage into rich application scenarios for global industrial innovation, which will not only promote its own sustained and prosperous development but also create more opportunities for the world. The first-quarter economic report of China, marking the beginning of a new planning cycle, has injected stronger confidence for continuously consolidating and expanding the sound momentum of a stable and improving economy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. As long as we adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality and efficiency, and focus on managing our own affairs well, we will certainly achieve the economic and social development goals and tasks set for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

The economy of a major country is always under close watch. On April 16, China's first-quarter economic report for 2026 was released: preliminary calculations showed a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 33,419.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5% calculated at constant prices. Facing a severe and complex international environment, the driving forces behind China's economic rebound and improvement are robust, with investment, consumption, and exports—the "troika" of growth—pulling in a more coordinated manner, resulting in a hard-worn report card.

The start of a cycle influences its overall course, and the initial steps determine the subsequent journey. The year 2026 is the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Achieving a strong start in the first quarter is crucial for accomplishing the annual targets and tasks and ensuring a good beginning for the 15th Five-Year Plan. Consequently, there has been high attention from all sectors on this first-quarter report of the开局之年. Previously released high-frequency data and leading indicators had led many institutions and economists to predict that, despite the volatile international environment, the GDP growth rate for the first quarter could reach around 5%, at the upper end of the target range. This would lay a solid foundation for achieving the full-year growth target of 4.5% to 5%. With the release of the first-quarter report, these predictions have been confirmed.

The Gross Domestic Product grew by 5% year-on-year, an acceleration of 0.5 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of last year. Simultaneously, employment remained generally stable, prices showed positive changes, and goods imports and exports grew rapidly. Overall, the first-quarter performance is commendable.

From the production side, agricultural production was in good shape, industrial value-added increased by 1.1 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year, and the service sector also maintained rapid growth. From the demand side, the year-on-year growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods accelerated by 0.7 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of last year, fixed asset investment turned from negative to positive growth, and the quarterly growth rate of total goods imports and exports was the highest in nearly five years. Particularly given the high base from the first quarter of last year and the more complex and severe external environment this year, such a start is especially commendable and fully demonstrates the resilience of China's economy.

Overseas media and analysts believe that against the backdrop of severe global growth challenges and a more adverse development environment, China's maintenance of steady growth and development resolve injects valuable confidence and momentum into a world full of uncertainties. The latest economic outlook report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that uncertainties in the Middle East situation since late February have tested global economic resilience. Growth expectations for 2026 for most major economies were revised down compared to the previous forecast, but the expectation for China's economic growth remained unchanged. The report suggests that China's strong export performance and measures to boost domestic demand have supported its economy.

In fact, the support for China's economic growth rate comes from more than just impressive foreign trade results and efforts to stimulate domestic demand. In recent years, particularly since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has deeply implemented an innovation-driven development strategy. It has increased investment and concentrated efforts on making breakthroughs in technological innovation and industrial innovation, forming synergies across various sectors and achieving significant results, which have driven the upgrading of the domestic industrial structure. These "new" industries and "new" economic forms are increasingly becoming the backbone forces driving economic growth, acting as a stabilizing ballast. The continuous integration of technological and industrial innovation has cultivated many new growth points in the industrial sector, especially in high-end equipment manufacturing and intelligent equipment manufacturing, which maintain a thriving development trend of strong supply and demand in both domestic and international markets.

Behind the heat of China's economy lies a quiet upgrade in its growth model. This is precisely the key driving force for cultivating new quality productive forces in the next five years. The rapid development of new quality productive forces, represented by embodied intelligence and artificial intelligence within the modern industrial system, has provided very strong new momentum for the first-quarter economy. One standout data point is the token call volume for China's open-source large language models, which has recently begun to exceed that of the United States overall. Industries previously termed as strategic emerging industries are continuously transforming into emerging pillar industries, providing further support to the overall economic momentum and resilience. Furthermore, the optimization of the export structure, supported by high-tech manufacturing, has made the position of "Made in China" more solid in the global market.

From artificial intelligence to quantum technology, from bio-manufacturing to green energy, China continues to delve deeply into technological frontiers, committed to technological普惠 and broad empowerment. It is leveraging its massive market advantage to create abundant application scenarios for global industrial innovation, which will not only propel its own sustained prosperity but also generate more opportunities for the world. The first-quarter economic report of China's开局之年 has injected stronger confidence for continuously consolidating and expanding the sound momentum of a stable and improving economy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. This confidence stems not only from the powerful start indicated by the first-quarter data and the fundamental judgment that the supporting conditions and basic trend of China's long-term economic improvement remain unchanged, but also from a clear-eyed recognition that the external situation is becoming more complex and volatile, domestic supply remains stronger than demand, and the foundation for economic improvement still needs consolidation. As long as we persist in seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality and efficiency, and focus on managing our own affairs well, we will undoubtedly achieve the economic and social development goals and tasks set for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.