Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Since 2025, dramatic changes in US trade policy have further destabilized the world. From the US announcement of the "reciprocal tariffs" policy on April 2 to the establishment of a new US tariff system by July 31, the global trade system has entered a true moment of restructuring.

Amid such high external uncertainty, China's foreign trade has demonstrated remarkable resilience and dynamism. In the first half of 2025, China's total goods imports and exports rose 2.9 percent year-on-year to 21.79 trillion yuan ($3.04 trillion). Exports increased 7.2 percent to 13 trillion yuan - higher than the 6.9 percent increase during the same period last year and well beyond market expectations. Such outstanding performance not only reflects China's firm stance and confidence in the face of US bullying tactics, but also highlights how the high-quality development of exports continues to underpin and drive the vitality of the Chinese economy.

Although the complexity, severity and uncertainty of the external environment will not dissipate in the short term, facts have already proven that China's export trade aligns closely with its comparative advantages and complies with international market rules. More importantly, the sustained progress in high-quality development has given Chinese exports strong and enduring vitality. With China's overall manufacturing and technological capabilities steadily advancing, Chinese exports are expected not just to continue expanding in volume but also to achieve major breakthroughs in quality, further unleashing the vitality of the Chinese economy.

First, China's strong manufacturing base provides a solid foundation for high-quality export growth, and export volumes still have room to expand. China possesses all the necessary factors for manufacturing development: a vast domestic market, a large pool of high-quality labor, advanced infrastructure, a favorable business environment, strong capacity for technology absorption and openness. These conditions together support manufacturing's transition toward high-quality development, enabling the production of more internationally competitive goods. China's global manufacturing status today is the natural result of market competition and globalization. Exporting large quantities of well-made, reasonably priced products to global markets is an important way for China to contribute to the world economy. In turn, this process also stimulates related domestic industries, accelerating transformation and upgrading.

Second, the accelerated upgrading of China's export structure further consolidates its competitive edge in quality. The optimization of foreign trade is essentially an outward manifestation of industrial upgrading. The "new three" - new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic - integrate existing industrial resources, enhance efficiency in resource allocation, and inject fresh momentum into growth. These emerging industries represent China's proactive efforts to seize opportunities in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, positioning itself at the forefront of industrial upgrading and energy transition.

Third, the diversification of export markets has made positive progress, underscoring both China's technological achievements and the diverse strengths of its industrial chains, which broaden the space for economic vitality. In the first half of the year, China's foreign trade with Belt and Road partner countries rose 4.7 percent year on year to 11.29 trillion yuan, accounting for 51.8 percent of its total foreign trade - 0.9 percent points higher than last year. Meanwhile, as Chinese enterprises grow stronger, the share of processing trade continues to decline, while general trade - with higher autonomy and greater domestic value-added - rises accordingly, reducing dependence on developed markets. Private enterprises, with their flexible mechanisms and innovative capabilities, are becoming the backbone of export diversification, delivering high-quality products to global markets and injecting new vitality into China's trade development.

Finally, even amid weak global demand, China's complete industrial and supply chains enable it to respond quickly to market demands. This "uniqueness" is a key guarantee for the steady progress of exports. Decades of sustained industrialization have allowed China to build a full, independent and comprehensive manufacturing system, with the world's most diverse and complete set of industrial chains. Among 500 major industrial products worldwide, China leads in output of about 220, accounting for over 40 percent. This makes China one of the countries with the most complete range of industrial sectors, playing a crucial role as both a participant and stabilizer in global supply chains. 

This completeness and product diversity ensure that China can meet demands flexibly across both destinations and product categories. As one of the world's largest economies, exports play a critical role in efficiently utilizing China's manufacturing capacity, advancing industrial restructuring and driving technological progress. The scale advantage, structural upgrading and resilience of China's exports will continue to inject momentum into global economic recovery. We should continue to leverage these advantages, create the necessary conditions and favorable environment for upgrading exports, and further unlock the vitality of China's economy.

The author is dean of China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn