As the World Bank repeatedly revises down its global growth forecasts, the International Monetary Fund warns that “uncertainty has become the new normal,” and the United Nations sounds the alarm over a widening “development deficit”—the world is asking the same question:
In an era of profound change, who can create more opportunities for global development?
To answer this, consider three windows into China’s economy.
The first window is Yiwu trade. This Chinese city, known as the “world’s supermarket,” sends a clear signal with its 97.4 percent market reopening rate and 291,000 post-holiday visitors: the gears of the global supply chain are turning at full speed.
The second window is Chinese spirits. From Wuliangye’s global partnership with Michelin to Meijian’s entry into mainstream consumer markets across 33 countries, Chinese alcohol is transforming from a “cultural symbol” into an “investment target” attracting global capital.
The third window is China’s AI. From industrial manufacturing to urban management, from auxiliary medical diagnosis to home companion robots, artificial intelligence is weaving itself into the daily lives of Chinese people. At the same time, China is also building a solid foundation for its AI industry.
These three windows point to a single core reality: the certainty of China’s economy is translating into development opportunities accessible to the world.
Yiwu, China: The World’s Supermarket, Global Trade
During the 2026 Chinese New Year Gala, a city neither a coastal city nor a provincial capital was once again seen by the world. That city is Yiwu, China.
Many may not have heard its name, but the goods sold from here to every corner of the globe have become part of daily life. Toys, furniture, electronics, holiday decorations, sporting goods… this is what makes it the “world’s supermarket.”
On February 28, the world’s largest small-commodity distribution center—the China Yiwu International Trade Mart and the newly opened Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center—opened for business simultaneously, with over 80,000 merchants welcoming customers. According to the Securities Times, on the first day of reopening, the market’s opening rate reached 97.4 percent, up 2.3 percentage points from the previous year; total foot traffic hit 291,000, a year-on-year increase of 23.8 percent. The bustling business of “global buying and selling” was once again underway.
More noteworthy than the figures themselves is the underlying structure.
The first shift: The map of buyer origins is being redrawn.
Multiple merchants report a significant rebound in the number of buyers from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, while the recovery of customers from Europe and the US has been relatively slower. This shift precisely mirrors the changing landscape of global trade—countries along the Belt and Road are filling the demand gap left by developed markets.
The second shif: The technological content of goods is rising.
At Hongtaiyang Technology’s store, eight hotel robots were sold within the first hour of opening. At the neighboring booth of “AI Curious Cat,” buyers queued up to experience companion robots; this model achieved sales exceeding 4 million yuan in just two months. AI translators, smart wearable devices, drones—these tech products occupy the most prominent positions.
The third shift: Trade methods are going digital.
Sail Technology’s self-developed AI translator supports real-time translation across more than 140 languages. The owner of Litai Toys uses digital human live streaming to sell products to over 130 countries. “Running a global business with just one mobile phone” is no longer just a slogan.
Behind these shifts lies the transformation underway in Yiwu: upgrading from a “window to the world’s factory” to a “digital hub for global trade.”
Twenty years ago, Yiwu competed on price. Now, its advantages lie in efficiency and technology.
At a time of uncertain global demand, Yiwu offers its answer with a 97.4 percent reopening rate. As one economist specializing in China’s foreign trade put it: “Yiwu’s resilience isn’t just that business continues—it’s that business has upgraded.”
Chinese Spirits: Eastern Culture, Global Taste
Another city etched into the world’s memory alongside Yiwu is Yibin, also one of the host venue for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala.
On the gala stage, as riders galloped alongside AI-generated flying horses, audiences witnessed the majestic confluence of China’s Yangtze, Jinsha, and Min rivers.
Yibin is also home to an even more renowned: the Chinese baijiu brand Wuliangye.
For a long time, Chinese baijiu held no advantage among the world’s seven major spirits categories. In recent years, through exploration by prestigious distilleries like Moutai, Wuliangye, Fenjiu, and Xifeng, the globalization of Chinese spirits has undergone a transformation blending product, taste, and culture integration.
In February 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and two other departments jointly issued the *Guidelines for Upgrading the Liquor Industry (2026-2030)*. For the first time, this joint ministerial document elevated “accelerating the process of internationalization” to a strategic priority.
Facing a global alcoholic beverage market worth $1.8 trillion, and backed by robust national strategy, Chinese spirits must accelerate their journey onto the world stage.
Path One: Breaking Through via High-End Integration
In its international push, Wuliangye is exploring the fusion of premium dining and spirits.
In 2024, Wuliangye entered a global partnership with Michelin. By early January 2026, they had co-hosted 26 high-end events.
Beyond its Michelin collaboration, Wuliangye is also building its own high-end dining venues. In April 2025, its first overseas licensed experiential restaurant opened in Tokyo, Japan—the Michelin-starred “Piao Xiang” became Wuliangye’s inaugural overseas licensed establishment. In September 2025, the Wuliangye Grand Restaurant officially opened in Bugis, Singapore.
By moving from selling products to opening restaurants, Wuliangye is positioning Chinese spirits as part of an international high-end lifestyle.
But “Chinese baijiu” is not the only global business card for Chinese alcohol. Chinese qingmei (green plum) wine is also capturing global attention.
Path Two: Integrating with Global Tastes
While Wuliangye charts its course in top-tier luxury dining, another Chinese alcoholic beverage is finding a gentler path onto the world’s tables—in Paris, France.
At the Téléthon charity gala, chefs from Le Cordon Bleu France raised glasses of Meijian Green Plum Wine in a toast with guests.
At the event, interviewed by the Chongqing E-commerce Association, Patrick TERRIEN, former director and executive chef of Le Cordon Bleu Paris, commented: “Meijian Green Plun Wine is very special. It can be enjoyed as an apéritif, a post-meal digestif, or paired with main courses and desserts. It has a remarkably inclusive palate, lending diverse appeal to its pairing with French cuisine.”
Meijian’s path diverges from Wuliangye’s. It doesn’t enter via the high end but permeates through everyday consumption scenarios. Currently, Meijian has successfully established itself in mainstream restaurants, bars, and supermarkets across 33 countries, including the US, France, Malaysia, Singapore, and Germany. On February 10, 2026, the Associated Press published “Unlocking 2026 Beverage Consumption Trends and Showcasing the World’s Top 10 Emerging Alcoholic Beverage Brands,” noting Meijian Green Plum Wine as China’s leading brand in the new green plum wine category and the world’s second-largest green plum wine brand overall.
Path Three: The Dual-Track Practice of Chinese Spirits
Though Wuliangye and Meijian pursue seemingly different global paths, both point to the same reality: the globalization of Chinese spirits is evolving from “individual forays” to “diverse coexistence.”
This capability for tiered breakthroughs is attracting global investors. Wuliangye is advancing its lower-alcohol baijiu products, while Meijian has achieved significant milestones—both are aligning with the global trend toward lower-alcoho options. In February 2026, UBS explicitly identified China’s low-alcohol beverage segment as a new growth area in its 2026 China consumer sector outlook. For global investors, China’s new low-alcohol spirits market is a strategic battleground not to be missed.
China’s AI: Computing Power Competition, Global Rivalry
Also on the 2026 Spring Festival Gala stage, another development drawing global attention was the strength of China’s AI technology.
Unitree’s robots performed complex Chinese martial arts moves. AI seamlessly blended virtual and real elements, generating scenes and dynamically adapting performances in real time—for instance, AI precisely controlled flower blossoms, and ink-wash-style steeds galloped across the stage, all within a distinctly Chinese aesthetic.
Artificial intelligence is also integrating into Chinese production and daily life.
During the 2026 Two Sessions of China, the Chinese government explicitly stated its intention to “fully implement the ‘AI+’ action plan,” using artificial intelligence to lead a transformation in scientific research paradigms and strengthening its integration with industrial development, cultural advancement, livelihood protection, and social governance.
The Computing Power Foundation: Intelligent Clusters Supporting the Industry’s Future
China has established a globally leading computing power system. By the end of 2025, China’s intelligent computing power surpassed 1,053 EFLOPS, ranking second in the world with a growth rate of over 70 percent—more than three times the increase in general computing power.
Even more critical is the systematic layout: the eight national hubs of the “East-to-West Computing Transfer Project” handle over 80 percent of the country’s computing power. The Zhengzhou National Supercomputing Internet core node has built a domestic AI computing cluster with over 30,000 cards. Shanghai’s Lingang underwater data center achieves an ultra-low latency of 0.5 milliseconds. The self-sufficiency rate for domestic chips has risen from less than 10 percent in 2020 to 35 percent. Huawei’s Ascend 384 supernode delivers computing power of 300 PFLOPs.
On January 6, 2026, Elon Musk commented on the podcast “Moonshots with Peter Diamandis”: “Based on current trends, China will be far ahead of the rest of the world in AI computing.” This competition is not just about scale; it’s a systemic contest involving everything from power infrastructure and chip R&D to network transmission and ecosystem construction.
China’s AI Technical Path: A Different Logic from Silicon Valley
The logic in Silicon Valley has been an arms race in parameter scale.China’s logic is an efficiency revolution combining algorithmic optimization and hardware synergy. Alibaba’s Qwen 3, through hybrid inference architecture and high-sparsity MoE technology, compresses the intelligence of 80 billion parameters into inferences that activate only 3 billion parameters each time, reducing training and inference costs by 90 percent.
In terms of ecosystem strategy, China is wholeheartedly embracing open source, lowering the barriers to innovation, and accelerating the integration of technology into all industries. Qwen and DeepSeek are prime examples.
This strategy is translating into global influence. Chinese companies like Huawei and Alibaba are developing open-source AI models, freely accessible and modifiable, allowing companies to build products without expensive licenses—a significant draw for African startups and innovation hubs.
China’s AI story is one of systemic capability: vast application scenarios, a complete industrial chain, and sustained investment in infrastructure.
Conclusion
Returning to the opening question: In this era of transformation, who can become a supplier of opportunity?
Three windows point toward a single answer: The resilience of China’s economy is fundamentally a “shareable development capability”—one that keeps trade flowing, gives capital direction, and makes technology accessible.
This is not China’s isolated growth, but an opportunity shared with the world. In these uncertain times, China offers its answer through three stories: development and opportunity can be created. And that may be the scarcest certainty of all in a changing world.
Company: Bottle Plante（CHONGQING）
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Email: jxb315@ijovo.com
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