China’s GDP growth heads global survey response

Internet users polled ahead of two sessions also interested in business, trade

China’s GDP growth was the top concern among global internet users, according to an online survey by China Daily’s website and 10 global media outlets.

The survey’s results are seen as a barometer of how people worldwide view the two sessions, which are the annual meetings of China’s top legislative and political advisory bodies. It asked respondents to choose the China-related topics they were most interested in ahead of the event.

The National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, convene every March in Beijing.

In the survey, 20.06 percent of the respondents said that China’s GDP growth was the most anticipated topic, followed by business and trade (16.66 percent), science-technology innovation (15.2 percent), environment (13.70 percent), politics (11.58 percent) and foreign policy (10.5 percent). A total of 8,290 people had submitted answers as of Feb 27.

The 10 overseas media organizations, including the Pakistan Observer and Viet Nam News, published the questionnaire online to collect responses from readers.

Among respondents, 51.02 percent said they have high confidence in China’s growth.

The International Monetary Fund increased its forecast for China’s economic growth to 5.2 percent in 2023 in January’s World Economic Outlook report. The updated number was 0.8 percentage points higher than the October forecast.

John Edwards, the United Kingdom’s

trade commissioner for China, said: “I think that’s perfectly possible. In that report by the IMF, they said their revised growth figures for China were one of the reasons they were also revising the global figures as well in a more positive direction.”

Regarding the two sessions, Edwards said, “We’re expecting a kind of a raft of measures that will encourage consumption and stimulate the private sector, and keep the momentum of the Chinese economy, not just this year, but in subsequent years.”

Roshan Khadka, editor-in-chief of the Nepalese news website Kathmandu Pati, said the optimization of COVID-19 management measures and the potential recovery of consumption will underpin China’s economic growth.

Global readers are also closely watching China’s foreign policy.

When asked what they wanted to know about the country’s diplomacy, 15.75 percent of survey respondents chose China-US ties as their main interest.

Aitizaz Hassan, a writer for Independent News Pakistan, said, “A normal China-US relationship could lead to increased trade and investment between the two countries, which could have economic benefits for both sides and help reduce tensions and improve political stability in the region.”

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, 12.97 percent of the respondents said they will keep an eye on the BRI.

Necati Demircan, a journalist with the Turkish newspaper Aydinlik, noted that “a revival in world trade is provided by the BRI, which is one of the most important investment and development projects of the 21st century”.

So far, 151 countries and 32 international organizations are participating in the BRI.

Visiting China is another big interest for global readers. In the survey, 76.74 percent of the respondents said they plan to visit China this year, with 46.87 percent planning to do so for leisure purposes and 18.03 percent for business.

China’s tourism industry has witnessed a rebound in the inbound and outbound markets since the country optimized its COVID-19 control policies in January.

This year’s annual session of the CPPCC National Committee will open on March 4. The annual NPC session will open on March 5.