The photovoltaic panels in the Middle East shine brightly in the sunshine, durians from Southeast Asia are served on Chinese tables within 48 hours, and copper mines from Central Asia are continuously imported into factories through the China Europe freight train

These seemingly unrelated scenes pieced together the "hot and hot" China's foreign trade in the first quarter of 2026. According to the data of the General Administration of Customs on March 18, the total import and export volume of China and countries along the the Belt and Road has reached 5.2 trillion yuan, up 12.8% year on year. This growth rate not only far exceeds the predicted increase of about 2% in global goods trade during the same period, but also builds a tough trade wall against the wind.

Main force dressing up

If the past trade was the old three of shoes, hats, and clothing, then this quarter's report card is the new three of hardcore technology leading the way.

Data shows that the export of new energy products and high-end equipment increased by over 30% year-on-year. This is not just a simple pile up of numbers, but a leap in the industrial level. In the Middle East desert, photovoltaic panels extend like a blue ocean, providing clean electricity to the local area; At factories in Southeast Asia, industrial robots from China wield robotic arms to precisely assemble precision instruments.

Taking new energy vehicles as an example, in just the first quarter, China exported over 150000 complete vehicles to countries along the Belt and Road, a year-on-year increase of 45%. Not only product output, but also the output of technical standards. CATL's factory in Hungary has been put into operation, BYD's base in Thailand has been completed, and Chinese companies are shifting from selling products to building ecosystems. This deep embeddedness has enabled the energy transformation of countries along the the Belt and Road to have a Chinese engine, and has also made the gold content of Chinese smart manufacturing shine in the international market.

Resources come in

The strong export cannot be separated from the support of imports. This quarter, the import of agricultural products and mineral resources increased by 15% year-on-year, showing a warm feeling driven by both resources and people's livelihood.

Looking at the resource side: Copper concentrates from Central Asia, lithium mines from Africa, and crude oil from the Middle East are continuously being imported into China through China Europe freight trains and ocean going cargo ships, providing blood for domestic industrial production. Looking at the livelihood of the people: Cocoa beans from Africa have become chocolates on supermarket shelves, fresh durians from Southeast Asia can be served on Chinese households' tables in just 48 hours, and high-quality wheat from Central Asia enriches people's bread bags.

Behind this is the two-way rush between Silk Road e-commerce and China Europe freight trains. By the end of 2025, the China Europe freight train has operated over 110000 trains, covering 227 cities in 25 European countries; And the comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce has reached 165, with over 2500 overseas warehouses. It is this three-dimensional network of land, sea, and air that allows Chilean cherries to be chartered directly, and also enables Yiwu's small commodities to be shipped together.

The invisible wings of institutional openness

The prosperity of trade is not accidental.

Behind this impressive set of data is the deep dividend after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into effect. In the first quarter, China's imports and exports to other RCEP member countries increased by 10.5%, and tariff reductions and cumulative rules of origin led to a direct decrease in business costs.

The deeper driving force comes from the intelligent supervision of customs. In early 2026, the General Administration of Customs launched facilitation measures for Silk Road customs, expanding the scope of mutual recognition of AEOs (certified operators) from countries along the route to 50 countries and reducing clearance time by 50%. At the same time, the single window is interconnected with countries along the route, enabling data to travel more and enterprises to run fewer errands.

And with the support of the Green Silk Road policy. The carbon reduction support tools established by the central bank have covered projects in 30 countries along the Belt and Road, and the balance of green loans has exceeded 2 trillion yuan. This is not just about doing business, but also about storing energy for the future of the global village.

New business model explosion: What does a 28% share mean?

It is worth noting that the proportion of new foreign trade formats such as cross-border e-commerce and market procurement has increased to 28%.

This is a qualitative leap. In Indonesia, TikTok Shop's live streaming sales have doubled the sales of beauty products in China; In the Middle East, SHEIN's flexible supply chain has shortened the local fashion cycle to 7 days. Digitization is no longer an option, but a necessity for survival. China's well-established payment settlement system (such as CIPS) and efficient logistics distribution (such as Cainiao Network) are restructuring the capillaries of global trade.

Walking on the same road, the future is promising

5.2 trillion yuan is not only the beginning of the first quarter, but also the epitome of high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road.

When the world economy is facing the risk of fragmentation, China and countries along the Belt and Road use trade data to prove that open cooperation is the right path for mankind. From photovoltaic panels for energy transformation, to durian cars for people's well-being, and to cloud connectivity for digital trade, China is injecting scarce certainty into the global economy with tangible growth.

The wind blows along the Silk Road, the tide is flat and the shore is wide. This speeding train is carrying opportunities and hope, heading towards the next golden decade.Editor/Cheng Liting