An aerial drone photo taken on July 18, 2026 shows a construction site of a subgrade section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. (Photo by Ren Weiyun/Xinhua)
BISHKEK, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's economy is demonstrating resilience and vitality through positive development trends despite various challenges, Kyrgyz economist Iskender Sharsheev told Xinhua.
In the first three quarters of 2026, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.6 percent year on year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. In the third quarter, China's GDP expanded 4.5 percent year on year, up from 4.3 percent in the previous quarter.
"Stable economic growth points to the country's new achievements in high-quality development," Sharsheev said, adding that the growth is driven by favorable trends in high-tech manufacturing, services and exports.
He also highlighted the strong performance of China's foreign trade in the first three quarters of 2026. The country's total imports and exports rose by 18.8 percent year on year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. During the same period, trade with countries participating in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative surged 17.1 percent.
"These results in China's foreign trade are driven by strong demand for its products from advanced sectors, including integrated circuits, electric vehicles and lithium batteries, as well as by market diversification, resilient industrial and supply chains, and the determined implementation of a policy of high-quality opening-up," the economist said.
A drone photo taken on Aug. 15, 2026 shows a construction site of a grand bridge above the Kec-Alat River along the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)
For Kyrgyzstan, a country along the Belt and Road, China's expanding foreign trade presents significant opportunities to increase exports of agricultural products and mineral resources, as well as transit services, Sharsheev said.
It also helps attract Chinese investment in infrastructure, logistics and processing industries, while strengthening Kyrgyzstan's role as a regional transport hub, he added.
Effectively leveraging these opportunities could help Kyrgyzstan create jobs, boost foreign exchange earnings and speed up its economic modernization, he said.
"Foreign trade continues to provide strong support for the industrial sector. The Chinese government has expressed confidence in achieving these goals and retains considerable policy space to introduce targeted stimulus measures. Together, these factors provide a solid foundation for China to meet its year-end economic targets," Sharsheev added.
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