Bell: The true 모습 of China's economy will not change because of a "filter".

Ask AI · Why do Western media find it difficult to objectively view China’s economic development?

Original Title: The true face of China’s economy will not change because of a “filter” (Chime)

The true face of China’s economy will not change because someone has added a “filter” to it. Only by basing ourselves on China’s real development situation can we accurately grasp the direction of China’s economic operation.

Recently, insightful members of the international community have believed that China has injected rare stability and certainty into a turbulent world; but at the same time, some Western media still persist in the old script of criticizing China’s economy.

China’s economic development goals are described as “growth has peaked”; China’s cultivation and expansion of new driving forces are distorted as “prioritizing industrial independence over boosting household consumption”; the “14th Five-Year Plan” outline, which systematically deploys expanding domestic demand, is selectively ignored and even accused of “lacking specific details.” Even more, some so-called Western “experts” directly assert: “China can no longer come up with creative solutions to its own difficult problems.”

Looking closely at these claims, it’s easy to see their usual routine — using an outdated framework to understand a large economy that is undergoing economic transformation and deep structural adjustments, resulting in a significant gap between judgment and reality.

Carefully dissecting this set of misinterpretations and negative views on China’s economy boils down to two logical fallacies.

First, using “partial” indicators to piece together the “whole,” turning “cycles” into “long-term” trends. China’s economy indeed faces some challenges at present, such as the external environment changing rapidly and transmitting through trade, investment, and other channels; the contradiction of strong supply and weak demand still exists, and bottlenecks hindering the healthy cycle of the national economy remain. The question is, which economy in transition does not experience pain?

Some Western media insist on generalizing from partial data. They can derive false conclusions like “China’s economic downturn has become the norm” based on a single indicator or local phenomenon, while ignoring positive factors such as the transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry, the continuous shift of old and new driving forces, and the accelerated improvement of technological innovation capabilities. It’s like someone working out to build muscle, experiencing occasional soreness, but being wrongly accused of having a serious illness. It’s just a matter of perspective bias on the part of the observer.

Second, ideological bias at play, forcibly interpreting economic issues through a political lens. Driven by old thinking of great power rivalry and ideological confrontation, some Westerners feel quite conflicted about China’s development: they keep criticizing China while also constantly hyping the “China threat,” turning China’s development or lack thereof into a “risk” for the world.

However, the true face of China’s economy will not change because someone has added a “filter” to it.

Looking ahead, opening the “14th Five-Year Plan,” with 5 aspects, 20 main indicators, 16 major strategic tasks, and 109 major projects, China’s development roadmap for the next five years is clearly visible, demonstrating unwavering determination to promote high-quality development to the world.

Looking at the present, in the first two months of this year, China’s total import and export value of goods trade reached 7.73 trillion yuan, an increase of 18.3% year-on-year; key products such as electromechanical products saw significant growth in imports and exports, demonstrating strong resilience and innovative vitality amid international turbulence.

Taking action, recent international forums held in China, such as the China Development High-Level Forum 2026, Boao Asia Forum 2026, and Zhongguancun Forum 2026, send a clear signal to the world: no matter how turbulent the world becomes, a steady and vibrant China will always be a stabilizing anchor and a port of certainty for global development.

Only by basing ourselves on China’s real development situation can we accurately grasp the direction of China’s economic operation. Those accustomed to viewing with a “filter” will eventually find it awkward: “Filters” can only obscure their own eyes but cannot hide China’s progress, nor can they block the enthusiasm of all parties embracing China’s opportunities.

Rather than wasting effort on outdated scripts, it’s better to settle down and deeply study China’s economy — a huge example of vitality amid deep transformation.

(Source: People’s Daily )