Multiple international financial figures stated at the ongoing China Development Forum 2026 that China's demonstrated policy stability and developmental vitality equip it with economic growth potential despite a complex external environment. Currently, global economic growth faces multiple pressures, including geopolitical conflicts and energy price fluctuations. Against this backdrop, China's economy has shown strong resilience.
"China is a stabilizing force and core engine for global stability, growth, trade, and technological transformation," noted the President of the New Development Bank, adding that China is transitioning from scale-driven growth to growth centered on productivity, innovation, sustainability, and resilience, with high-quality development becoming a distinct feature of the current phase.
The continuity and coordination of macroeconomic policies serve as crucial support. The Vice President of the Asian Development Bank pointed out that energy supply and price shocks are dampening short-term growth, driving up prices, and disrupting trade. Under such circumstances, medium-to-long-term planning is often difficult to prioritize. However, China's Government Work Report emphasizes policy coordination, integrating fiscal and monetary policy tools, and balancing short-term growth stabilization with long-term structural reforms, a deployment particularly vital in the current situation.
The President of the New Development Bank mentioned that the 15th Five-Year Plan fully demonstrates how macroeconomic policies, structural reforms, and long-term planning can work in synergy to address evolving domestic and global challenges. Each successive five-year plan builds on previous foundations, consistently adhering to a long-term vision. This combination of consistency and adaptability is a key driver of China's long-term development.
For foreign investors, this policy certainty is especially important. The President and CEO of a multinational corporation mentioned that the 15th Five-Year Plan provides clear direction for multinational enterprises, helping to clarify investment priorities and strengthen long-term confidence.
The international community's optimism regarding China's growth prospects also stems from its developmental vitality and internal drivers. A professor at Columbia University mentioned that China's clear commitment to an innovation-driven development path will help it maintain strong growth momentum.
The CEO of Apple expressed appreciation for Chinese innovation during the forum's opening ceremony. As the forum's international chair, the CEO stated that companies can contribute to high-quality development, such as by promoting economic growth supported by technological innovation, environmental protection, and improvements in people's livelihoods, adding, "and we have seen this within the development of China's tech industry."
The CEO of a consumer goods group observed that with rising household incomes and consumption structure upgrades, China's consumer market will continue to expand. Continuous improvements in logistics systems, digital retail, and consumption infrastructure are also accelerating the release of consumption potential in lower-tier markets, injecting new momentum into economic growth.
The Vice President of the Asian Development Bank mentioned that the 15th Five-Year Plan places people-centered investment in an important position, noting that investments targeting households and individuals are a key pathway for macroeconomics to boost demand and enhance economic resilience. He believes that China's demonstrated capacity for large-scale implementation of coordinated macroeconomic policies, its consistent adherence to a people-centered development philosophy, and its proactive stance on continuous reform not only instill confidence in China's future development path but also provide lessons and opportunities for other developing economies.