Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Wall Street Journal chief economics commentator Greg Ip claimed on Saturday that "China's growth is coming at the rest of the world's expense."

This is an outdated zero-sum narrative that is at odds with the facts. By misrepresenting China's normal export expansion as a threat, such arguments appear intended to provide a pretext for a new round of protectionist measures in some advanced economies.

The reality, however, is quite the opposite: It is protectionism - not China's deeper integration into the global trade - that is imposing costs on the rest of the world.

In 2025, fluctuations in US tariffs have added uncertainty to global supply chains. Despite this challenging external environment, China has continued to advance its trade steadily. From January to October, China's total goods trade rose 3.6 percent year-on-year. This sustained growth is not an anomaly; it sends a clear signal to the market. Multinational companies are maintaining their engagement with the Chinese market, highlighting the resilience and tangible benefits of the cross-border production networks.

The dynamics become clearer when examined from three perspectives. First, decades of integration have built a complex China-global supply-chain system, one that reflects the logic of globalization rather than unilateral advantage. 

China's trade includes sophisticated arrangements such as "processing of supplied materials," under which overseas firms supply raw materials or components, while domestic enterprises carry out processing or assembly according to the overseas firms' specifications, receiving only processing fees, with the finished products sold by the overseas firms. 

According to Chinese customs data, from January to October, exports under processing and assembly trade with supplied materials increased by 13.3 percent, with corresponding imports up 10.6 percent. This demonstrates a model in which both domestic and overseas enterprises benefit from the production and China's exports.

Importantly, what is commonly labeled as "Chinese exports" in some cases incorporates components and services sourced from other economies. Both upstream suppliers and downstream brands gain from close coordination within the global value chain. To interpret China's exports through a zero-sum lens is to fundamentally misread how modern value chains and comparative advantage function in practice.

Second, as globalization faces headwinds and protectionism rises in 2025, China has continued to open its doors wider to the world. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion and more than 400 million middle-income consumers, China represents a vast market with significant growth potential.

In 2024, China's total imports reached 18.4 trillion yuan ($2.6 trillion), up 2.3 percent year-on-year, setting a new record and maintaining its position as the world's second-largest import market for the 16th consecutive year. From hosting platforms such as the China International Import Expo to granting zero-tariff treatment on tariff lines to least developed countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, China consistently offers foreign enterprises broad opportunities and room for development.

Chinese consumption is also steadily upgrading, with the services sector showing particular dynamism. From January to October, China's total services trade reached 6.58 trillion yuan, with a services trade deficit of 766.37 billion yuan. China's continued openness and market expansion provide tangible opportunities for global businesses and underscore the country's contribution to international economic resilience.

Third, China's engagement with the world extends well beyond trade, encompassing multiple areas such as investment, industrial development, and infrastructure cooperation, and delivering tangible benefits to the global economy. 

Official data show that from January to October, China's outbound direct investment reached 1.03 trillion yuan, up 7 percent year-on-year. Chinese enterprises actively participate in cross-border infrastructure projects, industrial parks, and a broad range of manufacturing and industrial initiatives, generating employment and enhancing connectivity in the host countries. 

Far from "coming at the rest of the world's expense," China's growth supports global development, strengthens supply chains, and fosters shared prosperity. These activities demonstrate that engagement and openness - not unilateralism or protectionism - remain the drivers of sustainable and inclusive economic progress.

Some Western commentators have sought to cast China's exports in a negative light. Such arguments, which oppose trade and undermine free international competition, represent a new iteration of the broader anti-globalization narrative that harms the international economy. In this context, China's ongoing engagement in trade, investment, and infrastructure initiatives demonstrates how constructive participation and openness can help support the stability and resilience of the global economy.