BEIJING- Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was successfully held in Beijing, where the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as the Recommendation) was deliberated and adopted, outlining a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. Meanwhile, China's "three-quarter economic report" was officially released.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some perspectives with friends from various sectors of Iran on China's economic situation, development prospects, and opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

First, China's economy maintained a steady and progressive trend in the first three quarters of 2025. In terms of economic growth, China's GDP for the first three quarters increased by 5.2% year-on-year, accelerating by 0.2 and 0.4 percentage points compared to the full year of the previous year and the same period of the previous year respectively. For an economy of China's massive scale, maintaining stable development is particularly challenging. And it’s even more commendable against the backdrop of intertwined risks and challenges. In terms of high-quality development, the value-added of large-scale equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing accounted for 35.9% and 16.7% of the value-added of large-scale industrial output, respectively. The share of non-fossil energy consumption in total energy consumption increased by approximately 1.7% year-on-year, and exports of the "new trio" grew by double digits. China's economy remains stable and steady, the trend of solid progress in high-quality development persists, and the fundamental characteristics of strong resilience and vast potential remain intact.

Second, China's development prospects are bright. The Recommendation issues a resounding declaration to seize the momentum and advance the construction of Chinese-style modernization. The Recommendation focuses on key issues of overall and long-term significance, outlining strategic tasks and major initiatives for the next five years in 12 key areas, including industrial development, technological innovation, domestic market, economic system, opening-up, rural revitalization, regional development, cultural development, livelihood security, green development, safe development, and national defense. It sets the ambitious goal of achieving a per capita GDP at the level of moderately developed countries by 2035, which is inspiring. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, the Chinese economy is like a vast ocean, big, resilient and promising. We have the confidence and capability to navigate all kinds of risks and challenges.

Third, China remains committed to cooperation and mutual benefit. We are actively expanding opening up to accommodate both China’s needs and the world’s expectations. The Recommendation outline separate chapters on expanding high-standard opening up, which sends a strong message that China is committed to open cooperation and mutual benefit. The Recommendation put forth a host of concrete measures, including actively expanding opening up, promoting innovative development of trade, expanding the cooperation for two-way investment, and high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative. In today's world where protectionism is on the rise, China, as a responsible major developing country, promotes common openness through its own openness, injecting certainty and positiveness into the world, enabling all parties to share the opportunities of China's economic growth. Currently, high-quality development of the Belt and Road has entered a new phase, expanding into areas such as digital connectivity and green technology cooperation, continuously providing new opportunities for partners including Iran. The 8th China International Import Expo will be held in Shanghai soon, offering new opportunities to the world through China's new development and making China's large market a shared market for the world. Friends from all sectors in Iran are welcome to actively participate in CIIE, expand their presence in the Chinese market, share development opportunities, and achieve mutual benefit.

The year 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iran, as well as the commencement of China's 15th Five-Year Plan. In accordance with important common understandings reached between the two presidents, China stands ready to work with Iran to carry forward the friendship, deepen mutual trust, strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, clean energy and connectivity, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and jointly promote the steady and long-term growth of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.