In speech at expo, Premier Li urges concerted efforts to enhance openness, global collaboration
As uncertainties and complexities affect trade and economy worldwide, building deeper and closer business relations is of the utmost importance for accelerating economic growth and advancing technological innovations, said officials and top executives of multinational corporations at the 7th China International Import Expo, or CIIE, in Shanghai.
Delivering a keynote speech at the expo’s opening ceremony on Nov 5, Premier Li Qiang said that amid growing uncertainties and the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, concerted efforts should be made to enhance openness to promote lasting peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
Global economic recovery awaits more impetus, and countries need to address different problems on their development paths, he said, adding that cooperation is key for promoting global growth, and China is making its due contribution in this regard.
Li called for efforts to uphold the international economic order and implement more bilateral and multilateral trade agreements so that various parties can better promote openness and cooperation and jointly advance common development.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, said in a video speech at the opening ceremony that as geopolitical tensions intensify and signs of fragmentation emerge in global trade and investment, political and business leaders around the world must collaborate on preserving and reforming the multilateral trading system.
Jean-Paul Agon, chairman of French beauty giant L’Oreal, said China’s commitment to embracing the world, as reflected in Premier Li’s speech, powers the group’s growing confidence in the Chinese market.
According to Li, many new growth engines have been nurtured amid the new wave of technological and industrial revolution worldwide.
While China has been advancing opening-up through innovative cooperation, it is willing to expand access to its enormous market by implementing more such measures, the premier said at the CIIE opening ceremony, which also marked the start of this year’s Hongqiao International Economic Forum.
He said China will continue to advance opening-up in telecommunications, education, culture, and medical care, and adopt unilateral visa-free policies.
Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips, lauded China’s development as an innovation hub and said it is crucial to understand the supportive policies that not only facilitate innovation within the country but around the globe.
The CIIE serves as an important platform through which companies can closely connect with players in the technology and innovation sectors, as well as the government, he said.
Philippe Metzger, secretary-general and CEO of the International Electrotechnical Commission, said that global cooperation is becoming increasingly important to promote the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in a safer and more sustainable manner amid the ongoing digitalization trend worldwide.
The seventh CIIE, which runs through Nov 10, has attracted the participation of about 3,500 overseas exhibitors, including a record 297 industry leaders and Fortune Global 500 companies.
On Nov 5, Li also held separate meetings in Shanghai with Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who all attended the CIIE opening ceremony.
Luo Bin in Shanghai and Cao Desheng in Beijing contributed to this story.
