The view of the Yangtze River Bridge in Southwest China's Chongqing. Photo: VCG

The world once again welcomes the moment of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new. A more confident and open China, bearing the weight of its abundant harvests and firm conviction in the future, strides toward 2026.

Looking back on 2025, the world remained entangled in turmoil and upheaval. The contest over order in a multipolar world grew increasingly intense, the choice between openness and closure became ever more urgent, and the profound questioning of peace versus war stirred deep emotions in people's hearts. Yet it was precisely amid these stormy and fast-changing challenges that China, with extraordinary composure and wisdom, delivered a well-deserved, high-scoring answer sheet.

This year, China calmly responded to the "questions of the world" with "Chinese wisdom," becoming the "anchor of stability" in a turbulent world. In the face of deficits in global governance, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative, which, alongside the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, constitutes an action guide for building a community with a shared future for humanity.  The 2025 Global Survey on Impression and Understanding of China, released by Global Times, bears witness to this great-power responsibility. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era receives high international recognition, and the concept of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" receives approval from nearly 80 percent of international respondents. In the eyes of the world, China is increasingly regarded as a force of stability, serving as the anchor of stability amid global turmoil, the backbone in the new regional environment, the steady pivot in the changing international order, the main engine breaking through global development dilemmas, and the ballast stone stabilizing international morality amid crises of justice.

On September 3 in Beijing, the majestic and grand military parade at Tiananmen Square stirred profound emotions. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. We remember history, and with iron will and determination, we defend peace and justice. Dozens of foreign leaders and heads of international organizations joined us for this grand event, not only to pay tribute to the sacrifices and glory of our forebears, but also to convey a strong signal of firm commitment to peaceful development and the joint promotion of global security.

A heroic spirit fills heaven and earth, remaining awe-inspiring through the ages. Through concrete actions, China has made it clear to the world that history must not move backward and that justice must not be challenged. What we defend is not only the fruits of victory in World War II and the postwar international order, but also the fundamental bottom line of human civilization.

Large language models developed in China, represented by DeepSeek, have burst onto the scene, not only overturning the entrenched notion that the US dominates the AI field, but also being hailed as "a profound gift to the world" with the open-source models. From technological catch-up to model innovation, China is extending an invitation to the world to join an "innovation community." Equally moving is the booming grass-roots vitality. "China Travel" went viral worldwide in 2025, "heading to China after work on Friday" became a new catchphrase, and foreigners dressed in Qing-dynasty court attire have become regular sights in the Forbidden City. A British media outlet noted that every inbound visitor helps to break stereotypes about China. As flows of people, goods, information and culture freely cross mountains and seas, a real, vivid, and multifaceted China is coming into clear view before the world.

Described by outsiders as a "forward-looking country," China has, through systematic planning, anchored its development direction and rallied a powerful, nationwide force of shared purpose. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was successfully convened, deliberating over and adopting Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and charting a grand blueprint for China's future path of high-quality development over the next five years. The 2025 Global Survey on Impression and Understanding of China finds that more than three-fourths of foreign respondents have an objective and positive understanding and evaluation of China's practice of formulating and implementing five-year plans, considering it one of the secrets to China's success. From the macro strategic planning of the country to the perseverance and hard work of ordinary individuals amid challenges, the combined efforts of both top-down and bottom-up approaches have endowed Chinese society with strong resilience and confidence to move forward through difficulties.

What the world expects is not a "zero-sum narrative" dominated by the strong, but a "cooperation narrative" characterized by intertwined interests, shared costs, and mutual benefits. In 2026, the world can continue to look forward to China injecting new certainty into the global economy. As the main engine of global economic growth, China will continue to deepen reform and expand opening-up. With further tariff adjustments and eased market access, we will use the certainty and stability of high-quality development to counter the uncertainties of the external environment. Nearly 90 percent of respondents have expressed confidence in China's continued economic growth over the next 10 years; we will reciprocate this trust with tangible development results. 

As we approach 2026, we know that the road ahead will not be smooth; there may still be turbulent waves to cross, and even stormy seas to navigate. However, the picture we are weaving, stitch by stitch, will surely be a more vast and brilliant tapestry of China. We sincerely invite people around the world who yearn for peace and development to join us, carrying the glory and inspiration of 2025, with respect for history and a sense of responsibility for the future, as we stride into the new year together.