Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

There are many metrics to gauge an economy's growth quality and growth prospect, such as annual expansion of the gross domestic product (GDP), the advancement of average household's income, the technology development levels, broad public welfare, as well as improvements in environmental sustainability and social inclusion. 

For more than a decade, the evolution of the Chinese economy on the global stage has been remarkable, largely due to the country's development paradigm that focuses on high-quality growth, supported by advanced technology.

China's policymakers have increasingly set eyes on researching and developing the cutting-edge and globally-leading high and new technologies to spearhead and harness the country's comprehensive development. While doing the country's best to achieve a healthy GDP growth rate every year, China has also prioritized green development through vigorously developing renewables to ensure clean water and blue skies.

The impact of green development has been profound and multifaceted, extending beyond just the mitigation of climate change. Chinese cities are witnessing a tangible improvement in air quality, which has helped improve the health and well-being of the people. Additionally, the progress toward sustainability has fostered new environmental awareness among the public.

China is indisputably a global front-runner in green transformation of its colossus manufacturing industry, as the country holds the leading position in producing high-quality solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, a wide array of high-quality and affordable electric vehicles and advanced batteries. Though some Western countries, led by the US, want to contain China's technology advance, their sinister efforts will never succeed, because Chinese people's collective resolve to achieve national prosperity is unstoppable. 

Now acting as one of the world's major economic drivers and technology trail-blazers, China has been promoting its economic development with targeted efforts at improving environmental protection and upgrade of the living environment. Increasingly, the country's high-quality, innovation-driven, and environmentally sustainable growth model is recognized by others, especially the Global South economies. 

Chinese policymakers have looked to developing and expanding new quality productive forces through relentlessly exploring new technology innovations. Alongside the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry, the country has also been intensely focused on achieving breakthroughs in AI, high-end robotics, new materials, and other high-tech domains.

Aided by Chinese scientists' and engineers' push at innovation, China's massive manufacturing sector is being fundamentally revamped and improved. Now, Chinese manufacturing enterprises have increased in numbers and upgraded management and product sophistication, and are increasingly capable and competitive in winning global market shares. 

The country's expansive indigenous supply chain is becoming the most advanced in the world, enhancing the competitive edge of Chinese enterprises in the global marketplace. For example, across the new and advanced industries of new-energy vehicles, batteries and renewable energies, the country's giant manufacturing machine has generated a slew of its own car and battery brands that are winning bigger market shares both domestically and internationally. 

As Earth's temperature rises due to the heavy emissions of greenhouse gases into the planet's atmosphere, it is the common responsibility of all countries, large or small, to protect the environment, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and promote green and sustainable development. Accelerating the transition to clean renewable energies is the pathway to a healthy and sustainable future.

The high-quality, innovation-driven development model that China has promoted shows that achieving progress without compromising on environment is possible. By aligning economic growth with technological innovation, environmental sustainability and social inclusion, China's approach to development is highly acclaimed in the world, among the Global South countries in particular. It is hoped that through China's Belt and Road Initiative, more developing economies could benefit from China's growth model. 

The author is an editor with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn