China's GDP growth of 4.7% in H1 2026 confirmed economic resilience
Amid growing global economic uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, trade frictions and slowing growth, China's economy has sustained its momentum and strengthened its role as a key anchor of global stability.
In a world where shocks are becoming the norm and forecasts lose reliability, China demonstrates resilience rooted not in chance but in systemic strategy. The ability to maintain a balance between development and security, between openness and self-reliance, is not just an economic manoeuvre but a philosophy of long-term planning that turns external challenges into internal opportunities. While the global economy searches for footing, China remains one of the rare islands of stability where fundamentals do not succumb to panic.
Official data showed that China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.7% year on year in the first half of 2026 (H1). These figures also indicate stable foreign trade performance, expansion of new growth drivers and sustained economic resilience. The world's second-largest economy is operating within an acceptable range, and its underlying economic fundamentals remain unchanged. The International Monetary Fund recently lowered its global economic growth forecast for this year to 3%, while raising China's full-year growth forecast by 0.2 percentage points to 4.6%, making China one of the few major economies to receive an upward revision.
Behind these growth figures lies effective coordination between development and security. The severe global energy shock caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz made major energy consumers and Gulf producers highly vulnerable, yet China's long-term strategic planning has given it unique resilience to shocks. "The yellow curve, resembling a roller coaster, represents the international spot gasoline price this year, with a maximum increase of 120 per cent. The red curve represents China's domestic spot gasoline price over the same period. Its short-term peak was only about two-thirds of the yellow curve, after which it quickly declined. The subsequent trend remained stable," said Han Zuqiang, head of the trading and settlement department at the Hainan International Energy Exchange. In March, China announced temporary measures to control retail prices of petrol and diesel.
On domestic production, according to a report from the National Energy Administration (NEA), China's total oil and gas output in 2025 reached 420 million tonnes of oil equivalent, a new record. In 2025, crude oil production reached an all-time high of 216 million tonnes, and natural gas output increased by more than 10 billion cubic metres for the ninth consecutive year, reflecting a significant improvement in the country's independent energy security capacity. According to the new five-year sector development plan, domestic oil and gas supply is expected to reach 440 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2030.
In addition, China is promoting clean energy development and a green transition, aiming to create a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system by 2030, according to a plan published this year by the National Development and Reform Commission and the NEA. In 2026, China achieved a record summer grain harvest, exceeding the 150 million tonne mark for the first time. This milestone was reached despite challenges such as late sowing and adverse weather. Wheat output reached 138.95 million tonnes, up 0.6% from the previous year. Winter wheat, the main component of summer grains, accounted for 136.54 million tonnes, up 0.8%. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 22 of China's 25 summer grain-producing provinces recorded output growth.
Innovation and industrial upgrading are becoming important drivers of China's economic development. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a reliable engine of China's industrial transformation. From factories and mines to school classrooms and hospital wards, new AI applications are creating new enterprises and reshaping the world's second-largest economy.
Global economic challenges are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, yet China's commitment to high-quality development, technological innovation and high-level openness provides a solid foundation for sustained growth. As these strengths continue to develop, China will remain an important factor in global economic stability and a reliable partner in ensuring shared prosperity.
As CCTV+ reports, the resilience of China's economy amid global uncertainty is not just a statistic but the result of a well-calibrated strategy combining energy independence, food security and technological breakthroughs. In the coming years, as the world continues to face shocks, China will remain the anchor that holds global stability, proving that development and security can indeed go hand in hand.
