China's 2025 foreign trade reflects economic resilience

China's 2025 foreign trade data has drawn significant analysis from economists worldwide, with international observers highlighting "robust exports," "diversified markets," and "sustained competitiveness".

- By LUO SHANSHAN, People's Daily

Chinese vehicles and excavators are about to be shipped overseas at Yantai port, Yantai, east China's Shandong province, Oct. 21, 2025.

(Photo/Tang Ke)

The Wall Street Journal noted that China had defied expectations for tariff-driven slowdown, continuing to show resilience as the world's second-largest economy.

Despite complex global headwinds, China's foreign trade in goods reached 45.47 trillion yuan ($6.54 trillion) in 2025, cementing its position as the world's largest trader in goods. Trade growth has now been sustained for nine consecutive years, marking the longest uninterrupted expansion since China joined the World Trade Organization.

Behind these impressive figures lie concrete stories of deepening economic ties between China and the world.

A Norwegian social media influencer recently experienced this firsthand through two encounters with a Chinese compact excavator. A few months earlier, while scrolling through a Chinese e-commerce platform, he stumbled upon the product and, judging by its low price, assumed it was little more than a toy. Curious, he placed an order. When the package arrived, the surprise was immediate: the machine was fully functional, solidly built, and far more capable than he had expected. His unboxing video quickly attracted widespread attention, drawing more than 4 million views.