The total value of imports and exports for the whole year was 45.47 trillion yuan, reaching a new historical high and maintaining China's position as the world's largest goods trading nation. The imports and exports achieved a relatively rapid growth of 3.8%, which was the ninth consecutive year of growth and the longest consecutive growth period since China's accession to the WTO. By 2025, China's foreign trade demonstrated strong resilience and vitality. 

Carefully reading this impressive report card, "diversity" is the most prominent label on it. 

The market has become more diverse. In April 2025, the United States announced the imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners, including China, and continuously intensified and escalated them, triggering an unprecedented tariff war. As trouble looms, the world holds its breath, waiting for China to respond. At this moment, walking into the International Trade City of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, merchants calmly and composedly deal with market fluctuations, and according to their own pace, explore markets in Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America; walking into the Ningbo Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang Province, on the real-time display screen of the world shipping routes, the routes heading to Chinese ports remain the densest group; walking into the Khotogos Port in Xinjiang, the freight trains and vehicles bound for Central Asia are fully loaded with high-quality Chinese goods. In the process of China's foreign trade in exploring emerging markets, it has enhanced its resilience in withstanding storms. 

The "international trade circle" is expanding rapidly, with trading partners spanning the entire globe. By 2025, the number of countries and regions globally that have trade relations with China will reach 249, and trade between China and other countries and regions will see growth. Among them, there are 14 countries and regions with trade volumes exceeding trillion yuan, 62 with volumes exceeding hundred billion yuan, and 137 with volumes exceeding ten billion yuan. Compared to 2024, the number has increased by 2, 6, and 10 respectively. China's foreign trade is breaking away from reliance on a single market and is becoming more balanced in development. 

The products have become more diverse. The diversification of foreign trade is not only the expansion of the market territory, but also the improvement of quality and efficiency, and the iteration of development momentum. More and more "Made in China" products adapt to international market demands through innovation, promote global low-carbon transformation with green features, and continuously increase the "new content" and "green content". Taking artificial intelligence as an example, China's intelligent robots not only can dance, run marathons, and practice Tai Chi, but also are the "stand-in" for efficient production. In overseas infrastructure and transportation projects, the handling robots equipped with vision systems and algorithms can intelligently avoid obstacles; the welding robots can automatically scan the model and calculate the optimal welding plan. In 2025, the export growth rates of these two types of robots will both exceed 60%. "Chinese good products" not only enrich the lives of global consumers, but also deeply integrate into the global production and supply chain, providing strong support for global industrial cooperation. 

Imports have become more diverse. Diversity is not a choice of "self-preservation", but a practice of "mutual benefit and win-win". The huge market potential of our country continues to be unleashed, providing new opportunities for the world to expand its markets. The large market of China offers great opportunities for the world. The latest international data shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, China became the main export destination for 79 countries and regions, an increase of 3 compared to the whole year of 2024. In 2025, China's imports reached 18.48 trillion yuan, maintaining an import share of around 10% globally. The effective release of production and consumption demands in the super-large market provides broad market space and cooperation opportunities for all countries. 

A series of policies to stabilize foreign trade have helped enterprises secure orders and expand markets, providing a solid guarantee for the diversification of foreign trade. Pilot measures for facilitating cross-border trade have been implemented first in certain regions and then promoted and replicated nationwide, helping enterprises reduce costs and promoting efficient and smooth cross-border logistics. 

The extensive logistics channels that reach far and wide have opened up more markets, laying a broader foundation for the diversification of foreign trade. In Yantai Port in Shandong Province, the China-Africa liner's shipment volume increased by 49% in 2025, reaching a new high, connecting the Chinese large market with African characteristic industries. In Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the world's first China-Europe Arctic container express shipping route was launched, providing faster and more environmentally friendly international logistics options for China's high-end manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, and new energy industries. Driven by the opening channels such as the China-Europe Railway Express, the Western Land-Sea New Channel, and the China-Laos Railway, the border provinces and regions are gradually moving towards the forefront of openness. 

Diversity is the confidence that our country has in dealing with external risks and challenges, and it is also the key to enhancing the resilience of foreign trade. In the new year, with an increase in uncertain and unpredictable factors in the external environment, the pressure on stable foreign trade remains high. However, China's pace of trade innovation and development has become more solid, its advantages have become more prominent, and its trading partners have become more diverse. It will surely withstand the tests of strong winds and rough waves, and will also inject certainty and bring new opportunities to global economic and trade development. 

Source: People's Daily