At the beginning of the new year and the approaching Spring Festival, there are good news about the Chinese economy again.

In 2024, in face of the complicated and severe environment, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China’s major targets and tasks of economic and social development were achieved successfully. I would like to share a few points with Iranian friends from all walks of life in this regard:

China’s economy witnessed steady progress amidst stability in 2024. China’s GDP exceeded 130 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 134,908.4 billion yuan, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year at constant prices. China’s GDP growth rate ranked top among major economies, making China an important engine of the world's economic growth. The answer sheet is hard-won, and the effect of a combination of macro policies cannot be ignored. The Chinese government has strengthened macroeconomic regulation in light of the situation, and a package of incremental policies has been introduced in a timely manner, which has effectively boosted social confidence and led to a remarkable economic recovery. In the fourth quarter, the growth rates of value added of industry above designated size, value added of service industry, and total retail sales of consumer goods accelerated by 0.7, 1.0, and 1.1 percentage points compared with the third quarter respectively.

High-quality development was advanced steadily. Solid progress has been achieved in securing and improving people's livelihoods. Grain output has reached record high and risks in key areas have been resolved in an orderly and effective manner. In 2024, the share of value added of China's above-average high-technology manufacturing industry and equipment manufacturing industry in the value added of above-average industry rose to 16.3 percent and 34.6 percent respectively, an increase of 0.6 and 1.0 percentage points from the previous year. The annual average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, decreased 0.1 percent point from the previous year; per capita disposable income of residents increased by 5.1 percent in real terms, in line with economic growth rate.

2025 is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China will adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and will fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development and take solid steps in pursuing high-quality development. China will further deepen reform and opening up, implement more proactive and effective macro policies, expand domestic demands, promote integrated advancements in technological and industrial innovation, stabilize market expectation and boost internal vitality, so as to ensure a continued economic recovery. China has remained as Iran's largest trading partner for many years in a row and is also the most important export market for Iranian goods. The continued development of China's economy will provide more opportunities for deepening practical cooperation between China and Iran in various fields.