What is React runtime? I looked it up and the closest thing I came across is the newly announced React compiler. I have a vested interest in this because currently working on a micro-SaaS that uses React heavily and still suffering bundle bloat even after performing all the usual optimizations.
React compiler is awesome for minimizing unnecessary renders but doesn't help with bundle size; might even make it worse. But in my experience it really helps with runtime performance if your code was not already highly optimized.
When you compile JSX to JavaScript, it produces a series of function calls representing the structure of the JSX. In a recent major version, React added a new set of functions which are more efficient at both runtime and during transport, and don't require an explicit import (which helps cut down on unnecessary dependencies).