The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. At the start of the new year, numerous regions have held intensive "first meetings of the year," sending a clear signal that work has commenced without waiting for spring and that the starting point is already a full sprint. Major projects are launching, industrial parks are humming with machinery, and fields are brimming with vitality—the Chinese economy is accelerating right from the outset. Focusing on this critical juncture, CGTN launched a 12-episode series titled "This is How We Start Work!" from January 26th to February 12th, as part of its "Flowing Chinese Economy" series. The cameras go directly to the production front lines, using an immersive approach to document the "sprint-from-the-start" pace, allowing overseas audiences to witness the accelerating and dynamic Chinese economy through real-world scenes.
From trending discussions on overseas social media to the actual industrial sites, new quality productive forces are being demonstrated. On platforms like YouTube, discussions about Chinese robotics, humanoid robots, AI applications, and advanced manufacturing frequently dominate feeds, becoming a key entry point for international discourse on China's economy. The series proactively engages with this international conversation, transforming what overseas netizens are "discussing" into what the camera is "showing."
At an electric tricycle production base in Suining, Sichuan, and a humanoid robot innovation center in Chengdu, scenes of "human-machine synergy" have become a reality. On the front lines of the garment industry in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, AI and flexible manufacturing enable companies to respond nimbly to market changes. At the Oriental Spaceport in Shandong, a commercial aerospace sea launch hub demonstrates the resilience and vitality of China's emerging industries. As overseas platforms buzz with debates like "Is China leading the next wave of manufacturing upgrades?", the reporting provides concrete scenes as a response. Wherever the camera goes, new quality productive forces are no longer an abstract concept but a visible, tangible path to industrial upgrading. Overseas comments include: "China is turning science fiction into reality," "Robots are changing the future of manufacturing," and "Chinese manufacturing is getting smarter."
From city streets to rural fields, CGTN reporters in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian have gone to the front lines, using different languages to collectively tell the story of China's work commencement. Through observation, experience, and dialogue in real settings, the picture of China's economy at the start of the year transcends language barriers and reaches overseas audiences directly.
In Yunnan, an English-language reporter documented the entire process of a post-90s "new farmer" managing a farm, cultivating crops, and conducting live-streamed sales, making rural revitalization a tangible, daily struggle rather than just a macro-level concept. In Shenzhen, a Spanish-language reporter experienced a "city of the future," trying out autonomous taxis, drone deliveries, and smart fitness facilities, sensing how technology integrates into the urban fabric. At the trendy toy company Pop Mart International Group Limited, a French-language reporter explored the new business of emotional consumption, decoding how Chinese cultural IPs are going global.
In Wuzhishan, Hainan, an Arabic-language reporter embedded with a science and technology commissioner, showcasing the application of agricultural technology and the green development path of integrating tea culture with tourism. In Harbin, a Russian-language reporter delved into core scenes of the ice and snow industry chain, revealing the industrial coordination behind the heating up of the ice and snow economy. Behind the data are the busy figures of workers, the rhythm of efficient industrial chain operations, and the potential and vitality released by China's vast market. Through multilingual expression, the determined posture of China in its opening year is conveyed more clearly and vividly to the world.
"This is How We Start Work!" documents not just a point in time, but a state of development—in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, a China full of fervor and advancing with innovation is accelerating its pace. Related reports have been successfully broadcast on over ten overseas mainstream media outlets, effectively reaching audiences in developed countries and the Global South.