2022年2月26日，驻卡拉奇总领事李碧建在巴基斯坦知名媒体《商业纪事报》发表题为《中国经济发展韧性十足、潜力巨大》的署名文章。文章从经济总量、外贸外资、民生保障、创新发展、粮食产量、国际合作等六个方面，用详实的数据说明2021年中国经济高质量发展取得新成效，“十四五”实现良好开局。文章表示，面对当前复杂严峻的经济环境，中国经济长期向好的基本面没有变，依然韧性十足、潜力巨大。中国将继续积极维护全球产业链供应链稳定畅通，为完善全球经济治理、为世界经济复苏做出更多贡献。中英文全文如下：
中国经济发展韧性十足、潜力巨大
2021年，面对纷繁复杂的国内国际形势和各种风险挑战，中国经济发展和疫情防控双双保持全球领先地位，国民经济总体运行在合理区间，全年发展的主要目标任务已经完成，构建新发展格局迈出新步伐，高质量发展取得新成效，“十四五”实现了良好开局，主要体现在以下方面。
第一，经济增长国际领先，经济实力显著增强。2021年，中国国内生产总值比上年增长8.1%，经济增速在全球主要经济体中名列前茅；经济总量达114.4万亿元，突破110万亿元，按年平均汇率折算，达17.7万亿美元，稳居世界第二。人均国内生产总值80976元，按年平均汇率折算，达12551美元，突破了1.2万美元。年末，外汇储备余额32502亿美元，稳居世界第一。
第二，外贸外资快速增长，对外开放不断扩大。货物贸易量增质升。2021年货物进出口总额39.1万亿元，比上年增长21.4%，两年平均增长11.3%，按美元计价，中国贸易规模达6.05万亿美元，占世界市场份额继续提升。一般贸易进出口额占进出口总额比重达61.6%，比上年提高1.6个百分点。服务贸易继续恢复。2021年1-11月份，服务进出口总额同比增长14.7%，其中服务出口增长31.5%。引资规模再创新高。2021年实际使用外资11494亿元，增长14.9%。中国已成为全球第二大商品消费市场，货物贸易总额连续5年全球第一，吸收外资保持全球第二，对外投资稳居世界前列。
第三，民生保障有力有效，人民群众获得感增强。居民收入较快增长。2021年，全国居民人均工资性收入、经营净收入、财产净收入分别比上年名义增长9.6%、11.0%、10.2%。城乡居民收入差距缩小。2021年，城乡居民人均可支配收入比为2.50，比上年缩小0.06。基本消费品产销稳定增长。2021年，规模以上消费品制造业增加值比上年增长9.8%，限额以上单位粮油食品类、饮料类、日用品类的商品零售额均实现两位数增长。民生投入继续加大。2021年，社会领域投资比上年增长10.7%，其中教育、卫生投资分别增长11.7%、24.5%。就业总体稳定。2021年，城镇新增就业1269万人，达到了1100万人以上的预期目标，全国城镇调查失业率平均为5.1%，低于5.5%左右的预期目标。消费价格温和上涨。2021年居民消费价格比上年上涨0.9%，低于3%左右的预期目标。
第四，创新动能有效增强，新产业新业态茁壮成长。2021年，全社会研究与试验发展经费支出比上年增长14.2%，增速比上年加快4个百分点，延续了“十三五”以来两位数以上的增长态势；研发经费支出与GDP之比达到2.44%，比上年提高0.03个百分点。其中，基础研究经费比上年增长了15.6%，占研发经费支出的比重为6.09%，比上年提高了0.08个百分点。高技术制造业增加值同比增长18.2%。新一代信息技术加速向网络购物、移动支付、线上线下融合等新型消费领域渗透融合。
第五，粮食产量再创新高，畜牧业生产稳定增长。全年全国粮食总产量68285万吨，比上年增加1336万吨，增长2.0%，再创新高，连续7年保持在6.5亿吨以上，为保障市场供应和稳定物价奠定良好基础。全年猪牛羊禽肉产量8887万吨，比上年增长16.3%。
第六，对世界经济的贡献提升。根据国际货币基金组织最新预测，2021年中国经济占世界经济比重将达到18%左右，连年稳步提高。2021年是“一带一路”倡议提出8周年。“一带一路”倡议提出以来，中国与“一带一路”沿线国家贸易往来日益紧密。据海关统计，2021年中国对“一带一路”沿线国家进出口11.6万亿元，增长23.6%，较同期中国外贸整体增速高出2.2个百分点。其中，出口6.59万亿元，增长21.5%；进口5.01万亿元，增长26.4%。
2021年也是中国加入世界贸易组织20周年。据海关统计，中国进出口总值从2001的4.22万亿元人民币增至2021年的39.1万亿元，年均增长12.2%。2022年1月1日，《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）对文莱、柬埔寨、老挝、新加坡、泰国和越南等6个东盟成员国以及中国、日本、新西兰和澳大利亚共10国正式生效，这标志着全球最大自由贸易区正式启航。中国将继续为完善全球经济治理和推动经济全球化做出重要贡献。
当前，全球经济复苏脆弱曲折，通胀、债务、能源、供应链危机相互交织。面对复杂严峻的经济环境，中国经济长期向好的基本面没有变，构建新发展格局的有利条件没有变，新的经济增长点将不断涌现。立足新发展阶段，中国经济韧性十足、潜力巨大，中国将完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，通过艰苦不懈努力，加快构建新发展格局。中国愿同包括巴基斯坦在内的世界各国一道，积极维护全球产业链供应链稳定畅通，推动高质量共建“一带一路”走深走实，为世界经济复苏注入更多中国动力。
China's economic development full of resilience and great potential
In 2021, facing complex domestics and international landscapes and all kinds of risks and challenges, China has been in the lead position in both economic development and Covid-19 response through concerted efforts across China, keeping economic performance within an appropriate range. The major tasks and targets of 2021 were completed. We have made new progress in building a new development paradigm and scored new achievements in high-quality development. The 14th Five-Year Plan was off to a good start. The achievements are mainly as follows.
First, China's economic growth has been in the lead worldwide, with notably increased economic strength. China's economic growth ranked among the top in major economies worldwide, with the GDP of 2021 growing by 8.1% year-on-year. The GDP reached 114.4 trillion yuan, exceeding 110 trillion yuan. That was US$17.7 trillion at the yearly average exchange rate, which ranked second globally. The per capita GDP was 80,976 yuan and US$12,551, at the yearly average exchange rate exceeding US$12,000 . At the end of 2021, China's foreign exchange reserves stood at US$3.2502 trillion, the largest in the world.
Second, foreign trade and investment have grown rapidly, and opening up has been continuously expanded. As a result, the volume and quality of trade goods had increased. In 2021, China's total goods imports and exports expanded 21.4% year-on-year to 39.1 trillion yuan, scoring a two-year average growth of 11.3%. Counted by US dollars, the trade volume was US$6.05 trillion, accounting for a larger proportion in the global market. The imports and exports of general trade made up 61.6% of the total trade volume, up by 1.6 percentage points year-on-year. Trade in services has continued to recover. From January to November 2021, the total trade in services increased by 14.7% year-on-year, with services exports up by 31.5%. The investment attracted set a new record. The actual utilized foreign capital in 2021 was 1.1494 trillion yuan, up by 14.9%. China has become the world's second largest commodity consumer market, the world's largest total trade in goods for five consecutive years, the world's second largest absorber of foreign investment, and the world's top foreign investor.
Third, efforts to ensure people's livelihoods have been firm and effective, increasing people's sense of fulfillment. As a result, people's income has increased at a fast pace. In 2021, Chinese citizens' net income from wages and salaries, net business income, and net property income grew by 9.6%, 11.0%, and 10.2%, respectively. As a result, the urban-rural income gap has been narrowed. The urban-rural per capita disposable income ratio of 2021 was 2.5, which was 0.06 percentage points lower than 2020. The production and sales of basic consumption goods in 2021 have seen steady growth. The value-added by the consumer goods manufacturing industry above designated size increased by 9.8% year-on-year. The retail sales of grain, oil and foodstuff, beverages, and daily necessities by enterprises above designated size all registered a two-digit growth. The investment to improve living standards has expanded. The investment in social sectors increased by 10.7% year-on-year. Specifically, education and public health investment grew by 11.7% and 24.5%, respectively. In 2021, 12.69 million urban jobs were added, meeting the expected target of more than 11 million. The surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.1%, lower than the target of around 5.5%. The consumption price rose mildly. The CPI in 2021 increased by 0.9% year-on-year, lower than the target of around 3%.
Forth, the innovation momentum has been intensified, new industries and new forms of business thrived. In 2021, the national spending on R&D increased by 14.2%, 4 percentage points higher than the growth rate last year, maintaining a two-digit growth since the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). The spending on R&D accounted for 2.44% of the GDP, up 0.03 percentage points than last year. Specifically, the basic research spending grew by 15.6% year-on-year, accounting for 6.09% of the total R&D spending, up by 0.08 percentage points than last year. The value added of high-tech manufacturing went up by 18.2% year on year. The new generation of information technology accelerated its penetration and integration into new consumption areas such as online shopping, mobile payment, and online-to-offline commerce.
Fifth, grain output reached a new high and production of animal husbandry grew steadily. The total output of grain in 2021 was 682.85 million metric tons, an increase of 13.36 million metric tons, or up by 2% over the previous year, a new high. It has maintained above 600 million tons for seven consecutive years, laying a solid foundation for ensuring market supply and stabilizing prices. The total output of beef, mutton, poultry and so on in 2021 was 88.87 million metric tons, up by 16.3% over the previous year.
Sixth, China’s contribution to the world economy expanded. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China is expected to account for about 18% of the global economy in 2021, representing a steady increase in successive years. Last year marked the eighth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since the BRI was put into action, the trade relationship between China and BRI-participating countries has been increasingly strengthened. Data from China's customs showed that in 2021, China's import and export to countries along the routes of BRI reached 11.6 trillion yuan, up 23.6%, 2.2 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China's foreign trade in the same period. Of this, exports reached 6.59 trillion yuan, up 21.5%; imports totaled 5.01 trillion yuan, up 26.4%.
The year 2021 also marked the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO. Customs data showed that the total volume of China's imports and exports increased from 4.22 trillion yuan in 2001 to 39.1 trillion yuan in 2021, up by an annual average rate of 12.2%. On Jan. 1, 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement came into force in six ASEAN countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as China, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, marking the start of the world's largest free trade zone so far. China will contribute a lot to improving global economic governance and promoting economic globalization.
At the moment, the global recovery remains fragile and tortuous. Inflation, debt, energy and supply chain crises have become intertwined. In the face of the complex and severe economic situation, the fundamentals sustaining China's long-term economic growth and the advantages of forming a new development paradigm remain unchanged, and new drivers of economic growth will continue to emerge. Based on the new stage of development, China's economy with full of resilience and great potential, and China will fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new vision of development, work hard and tirelessly to speed up the building of a new development paradigm. China will work together with all countries including Pakistan to actively safeguard the stable and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains, pursue deeper and more substantive progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and contribute more energy to world economic recovery.