At a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on 9 February, spokesperson Zhao Lijian answered a question about China’s foreign trade and investment in 2021.

Journalist: According to statistics released recently by relevant Chinese authorities, the year 2021 saw robust increase in China’s foreign trade. China has become the world’s second largest consumer market. Its trade in goods has ranked first globally for five years in a row. In terms of attracting foreign investment, it retains the second place in the world. In your view, what does the great performance mean for the post-COVID global recovery?

Zhao Lijian: China’s foreign trade and investment registered yet another great performance against the background of a surging pandemic driven by new flareups and a global economic recovery fraught with various risks. This is the practical outcome of China’s effort to foster a new development paradigm and pursue high-quality development. It is also a vivid illustration of China sharing development opportunities with the world.

At the opening ceremony of the fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2021, President Xi Jinping pledged that we will not change our resolve to open wider at a high standard; we will not change our determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world; and we will not change our commitment to an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all. In the same year, China held a series of fair and expo events including the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China-ASEAN Expo, which have provided good opportunities for other countries to tap a broader China market and expand exports. According to latest statistics from China’s General Administration of Customs, in 2021, China’s trade in goods exceeded US$6 trillion for the first time, hitting a record high. In 2021, the paid-in FDI topped one trillion yuan for the first time, and China’s outbound direct investment (ODI) reached around 940 billion yuan, up 2.2%. Specifically, investment in countries along the Belt and Road increased by 7.9%. By the end of 2021, China had invested US$50.7 billion in overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, paid US$6.6 billion in taxes to host countries, and created 390,000 local jobs. Facts have proven that China’s economy is very vigorous and resilient, which has played an active role in stabilizing the global industrial and supply chains and promoting world economic recovery.