Reference News Network, January 8 report: Spain's "Diario" website published an article titled "Trade and Infrastructure: China's Development Model to Enhance Global Influence" on January 4. The author is Adrián Fuentesillas. The article excerpts are as follows:
The foreign strategies of the United States and China show significant differences: the US sells values abroad, while China advocates practical cooperation and win-win development. The current Trump administration's tariff barriers and exclusionary immigration measures, as well as its indifference to environmental issues, have led to a crisis in the values the US promotes, while China's concepts have gained widespread recognition due to their practical results.
This strategic difference is causing a shift in the international community's perception of the United States and China. A survey conducted by NERA Data, a company specializing in global public opinion research, shows that in the 96 countries and regions surveyed, 76 (nearly 80%) had a higher degree of favorability towards China than the US. The study clearly states that China is now the only major country with a positively developing international image globally.
Western influence is waning, while the rapid rise of countries in the Global South has given China an opportunity to improve the global governance framework. China has mastered an effective development model and is willing to promote it through trade cooperation and infrastructure construction. China advocates concepts such as free trade, globalization, and open borders, which have received enthusiastic applause from leaders of countries around the world and business magnates.
In 2025, China's goods trade surplus broke through the $100 billion mark, proving the tremendous success of its industrial policies. The core driver of China's export growth is no longer cheap products, but high-tech products such as semiconductors and electric vehicles. Many regions of the world are now enjoying China's advanced technology at reasonable prices.
China is promoting the "Belt and Road Initiative" and actively pushing for global trade cooperation, winning widespread recognition from the international community. This trend continues: China firmly upholds an open economy and builds a diversified international cooperation framework through mechanisms such as the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, etc.
In the field of environmental governance, China has a significant advantage in renewable energy. For China, this industry has become an important engine for economic growth. China is leading the global green energy revolution. Optimists believe that China's large-scale production of high-cost-effective green energy products may break the traditional contradiction between economic development and environmental protection. Therefore, countries in the Global South can now afford electric vehicles, and many Asian countries plan to significantly increase their solar power generation by using solar panels produced in China.
With the booming tourism industry and influencers visiting China, more and more people are seeing another side of China: a country with a long history and culture, rich cuisine, first-class infrastructure, and warm and friendly people. Cultural symbols such as TikTok, Shein, and Lulubu, along with the futuristic city images of Shenzhen and Chongqing, have quickly made China a synonym for fashion and trends in the international community. The enhancement of China's soft power comes from real national development achievements and deepened international exchanges. (Translated by Han Chao)
On December 17, 2025, a roll-on/roll-off ship was loading exported cars at Lianyungang Port in Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua News Agency)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7592864137433088547/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.