On June 2, 2023, Chinese Ambassador to Dominica Lin Xianjiang published an article titled "China’s Economic Achievements in Q1 2023" in the mainstream media "Chronicle," introducing China’s economic highlights and policy measures in the first quarter of 2023. The full Chinese translation of the article is as follows:

During the May Day holiday this year, I participated in a friendly match with the Dominica U17 Women’s Football Team, spending a pleasant holiday with the Chinese community in Dominica. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in China, people chose to travel, enjoy nature, and savor delicious food. According to authoritative data, during this year’s May Day holiday, there were 274 million domestic tourists in China, with domestic tourism revenue reaching 148.06 billion yuan, a remarkable achievement.

The booming tourism market is a reflection of the stable and robust performance of China’s economy in the first quarter. The successful 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year pointed the direction for China’s economic development. Since January, China has been steadily carrying out various work amid adjustments in pandemic control measures and the full implementation of the new government.

Domestically, China has fully coordinated pandemic control with economic and social development, with the following key features:

  • Economic growth is steadily recovering. In Q1, China’s GDP reached 28.5 trillion yuan, a 4.5% year-on-year growth, achieving a fast economic rebound against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown. This laid a solid foundation for the completion of this year’s economic and social development goals.
  • Market demand is gradually expanding. In Q1, with the expansion of consumption scenarios and improved consumer expectations, Chinese consumer demand gradually increased. Retail sales of consumer goods reached 11 trillion yuan, growing by 5.8%, with retail sales of services growing by 13.7%. At the same time, market investment saw steady growth, with infrastructure and manufacturing investments growing by 8.8% and 7%, respectively.
  • Employment and prices remained generally stable. In Q1, China’s employment situation improved, with 2.97 million new urban jobs, 120,000 more than the previous year. The national urban survey unemployment rate averaged 5.5%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from Q4 last year. Prices continued to remain stable, with the national consumer price index rising by 1.3% year-on-year, continuing to fall, and the overall price level running within a reasonable range, ensuring people’s well-being.

Internationally, despite external challenges such as shrinking external demand, the push for "decoupling" by some countries, and increased international competition, China continues to promote high-level opening-up, boosting global economic recovery confidence with its own economic development. Several international organizations have raised China’s economic growth forecast for this year, with the IMF predicting that China will contribute more than one-third to global economic growth.

On the one hand, China has vigorously promoted foreign trade, stabilized quality, and actively expanded trade cooperation with emerging markets such as countries along the Belt and Road, including Dominica. In Q1, China’s total import and export value increased by 4.8% year-on-year, with the total import and export value to Belt and Road countries rising by 16.8%. The number of China-Europe freight trains and cargo shipments grew by 15% and 28%, respectively, contributing to the economic development of the relevant countries.