How to view the quality of China's economic development

In recent years, the comparison of economic development levels has often been simplified as a comparison of current GDP figures. However, the economy is a vast and complex system, and GDP, as an important indicator of economic aggregate, cannot fully reflect the quality of development and living standards. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, China's average annual contribution to world economic growth remained at around 30%, making it the largest contributor and strongest anchor to global economic growth. It should be noted that while achieving a significant increase in total output, the value and quality of China's economic development continue to improve.

A tangible material foundation. The important physical quantity indicators are at the forefront of the world, which is the confidence of the Chinese economy. The foundation of the real economy is more stable. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, China's manufacturing added value accounted for nearly 30% of the global total, and the scale of the manufacturing industry is expected to remain the world's largest for 16 consecutive years. The output of more than 200 major industrial products ranks first in the world. The infrastructure network is more complete, and the world's largest, most modern, and most diverse high-speed rail network has been built. The total operating mileage of high-speed rail has exceeded 50000 kilometers, accounting for more than 70% of the world's total, covering 97% of cities with a population of over 500000 in China. The guarantee of food security is more reliable. The annual grain output has remained above 1.3 trillion catties for 11 consecutive years, and has exceeded 1.4 trillion catties in the past two years. The production of rice, wheat, meat, vegetables, fruits and other crops ranks first in the world, and the Chinese people's rice bowls are firmly in their own hands. Behind these physical quantity indicators are powerful production capabilities and a well-established industrial system, which provide strong support for high-quality development.

Continuously growing new momentum. The constantly developing new quality productivity provides a powerful engine for the Chinese economy. The innovation capability has significantly improved, and China has become the first country in the world to have over 5 million valid domestic invention patents. The number of international patent (PCT) applications has ranked first in the world for several consecutive years; In the 2025 Global Top 100 Innovation Clusters, China has 24, ranking first in the world for three consecutive years in terms of quantity. Emerging industries are accelerating their growth, and by 2025, the added value of core industries in the digital economy will account for over 10% of GDP. The vitality of talent innovation has burst forth, with the total amount of talent resources, scientific and technological human resources, and R&D personnel ranking first in the world. The number of graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors exceeds 5 million every year. It has been proven that our ability to be independent and self reliant is constantly improving, and the fruitful results of independent innovation are emerging at an accelerated pace. Innovation is injecting a steady stream of power into China's economic development.

The constantly increasing 'green content'. Accelerate the protection and restoration of ecosystems, promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and never "eat ancestral food and cut off the path of future generations". Energy utilization is cleaner, and the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system is being built. By 2025, the total consumption of non fossil fuels will exceed that of oil, and the installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power will surpass that of thermal power for the first time. The global proportion of new energy storage installations will exceed 40%. The achievements of national land greening are remarkable. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the afforestation area was 185 million mu, and the newly added forest stock was equivalent to a forest area in the Greater Khingan Range. According to United Nations data, China has contributed about half of the global artificial forest growth area in the past 10 years. We fully demonstrate our commitment to climate governance, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and achieve significant results in implementing the 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions. We solemnly declare a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions and become a key leader in global climate governance.

The fruits of development benefit all people. We always adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, constantly enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the people. The significant improvement in quality of life has eliminated absolute poverty and regional overall poverty, creating a miracle in the history of human poverty reduction; People's "vegetable baskets," "rice bags," and "fruit plates" have become more abundant, and their nutritional levels have significantly improved. Public services are more universal, with participation rates in basic medical insurance and basic pension insurance both maintained at over 95%, and the world's largest social security system has been established; The average life expectancy is 79 years, and the average education years for the population aged 16-59 are 11.3 years. Social security is globally leading, always cracking down on criminal activities such as drugs and firearms. It is one of the safest countries in the world. Recently, a large number of foreign tourists have shared their experiences of wandering alone at night and visiting unmanned shops in China. The safe and comfortable social security environment has made netizens around the world envy and like it.

The 14th Five Year Plan has come to a successful conclusion, and the 15th Five Year Plan continues to set sail. Standing at a new historical starting point, we should not only focus on the "quantity" of economic development data, but also on the "quality" behind the data, highlight the gold content of economic development, promote the all-round development of people, anchor the goal, never relax, and continue to march towards the grand goal of Chinese path to modernization.