Premier Li Qiang urges solidarity, cooperation to promote economic recovery

Chinese Premier Li Qiang Monday urged all parties to enhance consensus, strengthen cooperation and jointly promote the recovery of the world economy when meeting with representatives of overseas attendees to the China Development Forum 2023 in Beijing.

The attendees included the heads of Fortune Global 500 companies, scholars and experts from global academic institutes, and representatives from major international organizations.

Li expressed his gratitude to all attendees for their contributions to China’s development over the years.

Noting the current world economic development is in a complex, volatile and difficult period, the Chinese premier said first of all, all parties need to strengthen confidence and stabilize expectations, especially to look with a broadened horizon and take a long-term perspective.

Li hailed the Chinese economy’s steady development in the past decade, saying it served as a ballast stone and power source for the world economy.

The Chinese economy will maintain a certain level of growth in the future while promoting a change in quality, in efficiency, and in growth drivers, striving to achieve higher-quality development and making people’s lives better, he vowed.

All of this will provide new momentum for global economic growth and a broad space for companies from all countries to develop in China, Li added.

Stressing China’s economy has been deeply integrated into the global division of labor, the Chinese premier said China will unswervingly expand its opening-up to the outside world no matter how the international situation changes.

“We will further expand opening-up in alignment with high-standard international trade rules, steadily expand institutional opening-up, and strive to foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized,” said Li.

The attendees hailed China’s development achievements, saying that multinational enterprises have benefited from China’s reform and opening-up and rapid development, as well as making positive contributions to China’s development.

They also expressed willingness to deepen cooperation with China.

(Cover: Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets the press after the closing of the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, March 13, 2023. /Xinhua)