JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's economic resilience and its commitment to high-level opening-up are creating unprecedented development opportunities for countries around the world, particularly those in the Global South, a South African analyst has said.
Over the past four years, domestic demand has contributed more than 86 percent to China's economic growth, South African governance and political analyst Sandile Swana said in an interview with Xinhua.
"Such a high share of growth coming from within the domestic economy shows how strong China's internal drivers have become. When a country's economic momentum is largely self-sustained, it becomes stronger and less vulnerable to external pressure in the broader economic landscape," he said.
Swana said China has emerged as a global leader in technological innovation, particularly in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies.
"When it comes to green development and new energy vehicles, China is an undeniable leader," he said, adding that its progress offers valuable lessons for other developing countries pursuing energy transition.
On China's contribution to global development, Swana highlighted the country's efforts to promote fair and inclusive international trade. "What's remarkable is that China treats all countries, whether big or small, as equal trading partners and works to end discrimination in global trade."
As the first developing nation in modern history to achieve peaceful development, China is shaping a new development paradigm, Swana said, adding that China's recently proposed Global Governance Initiative will play an important role in promoting a fairer and more just international system.
Looking ahead, Swana voiced confidence about China's future. "With the technological base already in place, I think China is in a good position to build one of the most impressive rural economies in the world. That could really offer some useful lessons for rural development in other developing countries," he said.
China's development shows the world that a country can grow strong without seeking hegemony, but for shared development, Swana said.
Depicting China's philosophy of peaceful development as a "fresh way of thinking," Swana said, "This is the direction China is taking, and China is leading the way." ■