On November 21, 2025, a signed article by H.E. Mr. Tang Songgen, Chinese Ambassador to Latvia, titled "China's Development Benefits the World", was published on NRA.lv, the website of Neatkarīgā rīta avīze, in Latvian. Full text of its English version is as follows:

On October 30, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a meeting with U.S. President Donald J. Trump in Busan. President Xi emphasized that the key secret to China's success is working from generation to generation on the same blueprint to make it a reality, improving ourselves and sharing development opportunities with all countries across the world.

A Blueprint: Realizing Chinese Modernization

This blueprint aims to basically achieve socialist modernization by 2035. By then, China's per capita GDP will exceed $20,000, reaching the standard of mid-level developed countries. The past five years of the 14th Five-Year Plan have laid solid foundations for achieving this goal. The upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan is a crucial phase for reinforcing the foundations and a key link between the past and future.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), China's economic increment was approximately 4.2 trillion euros, with an average annual growth rate of 5.5 percent, ranking among the top of the world's major economies. China contributed over 30 percent of global economic growth annually, serving as the most stable and reliable engine for world economic development. China became one of the top three trading partners for 157 countries and regions. China entered the list of the world's top ten most innovative economies for the first time. And consumption has become the primary driver of its economic growth. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund predict that China's total GDP will reach 17.6 trillion euros in 2025.

The goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) are to make significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances in strengthening the national security shield. The primary strategic task is to consolidate and strengthen the foundation of the real economy, building a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone. China will accelerate the establishment of a high-level socialist market economy, continue to build a strong domestic market, vigorously boost consumption, expand effective investment, and persist in closely combining investment in physical assets with investment in human capital. China will seize the historic opportunities presented by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, comprehensively enhance the capacity for independent innovation, and continuously generate new quality productive forces.

Reform and Opening Up Remain China's Distinct Hallmarks

China will continue to pursue high-quality development, promote interplay between an effective market and a well-functioning government, and ensure both development and security. Through comprehensively deepening reform and promoting high-standard opening up, China will build a modernized industrial system with Chinese characteristics, cultivate a first-class international business environment, align with high-standard international rules, significantly reduce the institutional transaction costs of market operations, and enhance the long-term confidence of foreign investors. China's negative list for foreign investment access has been reduced to 29 items, with all restrictions in the manufacturing sector eliminated, and the opening up of service sectors such as education, healthcare, and finance is accelerating. Digits & Threads, a Canadian magazine, commented that while some economies are turning inward, China is embracing cooperation with greater openness, and an open China brings huge opportunities to global economic development. China has extended its unilateral visa-free policy to 45 countries including Latvia, opening its doors wider to welcome more foreign friends to visit and do business.

Providing Much-Needed Stability and Certainty for the World

There is a Latvian proverb: "Apsoli maz, izdari". Chinese people believe: "Promises must be kept and actions must yield results." China honors its commitments with stable growth, consistent policies and predictable expectations, injecting stability into an uncertain world and providing positive energy for global development. Against the backdrop of weak global economic recovery, geopolitical conflicts, and rising trade protectionism, "certainty" has become a scarce commodity. The frequent and unpredictable policy changes of some countries have cast a shadow over global peace and development. In contrast, with its clear and firmly implemented development targets, China has further injected vitality and confidence into the world. The Financial Times commented that a lot of chaos is happening in the world, but China is continuing to implement its socialist modernization plan. El Mundo said that for the Chinese people, each Five-Year Plan has significantly improved people's lives and guided China's development process.

China's Development Benefits the World

In the next five years, China will continue to uphold the concept of win-win cooperation, constantly provide new opportunities for world development through new achievements in Chinese modernization, and work with countries around the world to strive for a world modernization characterized by peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity, thereby better benefiting the people of all countries. According to IMF analysis, every percentage-point increase in China's economic growth results in an average of 0.3 percentage-point growth for other economies.

In the next five years, China will continue to practice the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. China stays committed to upholding equality of all countries, big or small, practicing true multilateralism, supporting all countries in pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions, and helping maintain the growth momentum and vitality of the global economy.

In the next five years, China will continue to firmly uphold the status and authority of the United Nations, promote countries to use the UN platform to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and support the UN in playing a central role in international affairs, so as to promote the peaceful and friendly resolution of international disputes. In October this year, at China's initiative, the International Organization for Mediation was officially established in Hong Kong. The Organization embodies the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and thus will help maintain a stable and harmonious international order, offering a valuable complement to existing dispute-settlement mechanisms.

The year 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Latvia. China looks forward to working with Latvia, adhering to the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, to expand practical cooperation and benefit the people of both countries. China is willing to work with Europe and all countries in the world to seize opportunities, pursue common development, and build a world with lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, a world that is open, inclusive, clean and beautiful.