Nation to safeguard common interests of all countries

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Thursday China's resolve to open wider at a high standard and its determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world, saying that opening-up is the hallmark of contemporary China.

He also said that China will not change its commitment to an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.

Xi made the remarks when addressing via video link the opening ceremony of the fourth China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum held in Shanghai.

The president called on the international community to stay on top of the prevailing trend of economic globalization, and support countries around the world in opening up wider while rejecting unilateralism and protectionism.

"This is significantly important if we are to take humanity to a better future," he said.

Xi said that as the only major economy to register positive growth of trade in goods last year, China has made important contributions to keeping global industrial and supply chains stable and boosting world economic recovery.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided the international community with some 350 billion masks, over 4 billion protective suits, more than 6 billion testing kits and over 1.6 billion doses of vaccines, he said, noting that these are concrete actions China has taken to honor its commitments and fulfill its responsibilities.

As this year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the World Trade Organization, Xi said that the past two decades have witnessed China deepen reform and pursue all-around opening-up, seize opportunities, rise to challenges, step up to its responsibilities and benefit the whole world.

"Since joining the WTO, China has kept opening wider to the world, thus generating a new wave of domestic development while injecting fresh impetus into the world economy," he said.

Noting that the multilateral trading regime is currently facing challenges, Xi said that China supports WTO reform moving in the right direction and will have an active and open attitude in negotiations on issues such as the digital economy, trade and the environment, industrial subsidies and State-owned enterprises.

China will put more emphasis on expanding imports and pursuing the balanced development of trade, he said. He announced that China will open more demonstration zones for the creative promotion of import trade.

According to Xi, China will revise and enlarge the encouraged industry catalogue to guide more foreign investment toward sectors such as advanced manufacturing, modern services, high and new technology, energy conservation and environmental protection.

To uphold the common interests of the world, China will also actively join in global efforts to tackle climate change and safeguard food and energy security, and provide more assistance to fellow developing countries within the framework of South-South cooperation, he said.

"China stands ready to work with all countries to build an open world economy so that the spring breeze of openness will bring warmth to all parts of the world," Xi said.

International political and business leaders hailed China's holding of the expo and its contribution to the world economic recovery.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said new technologies have changed both the form and substance of trade, helping to increase the share of service trade and blurring the traditional boundaries between services, agriculture and industrial manufacturing.

Therefore, he said via video link, Argentina has been encouraging domestic high-tech companies to participate in China's market development.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, also speaking via video link, said the expo is one of the biggest trade promotion events in China and globally, and it embodies China's commitment to international trade and shows the innovation and creativity of humanity through the innovative products and services displayed at the event.

Trade should be free and fair, a level playing field must be preserved and an open multilateral trade system must be promoted in order to benefit both consumers and producers, imports and exporters, he said.

"Trade should be at the service of the people, not the other way around. We must never lose our guiding values, principles and standards," he said.

President Xi's speech again demonstrates China's firm determination to continue its opening-up journey. China has been carrying out higher-level opening-up with the pursuit of win-win collaboration, which is set to bring new vigor to the global economy, said Daniel Brindle, president of Novartis Group, China.

Key quotes

· China is a firm believer in honoring its words with actions. The measures I announced at the third CIIE for further opening-up have mostly been implemented.

· For any country or nation to thrive, it must follow the logic of history and develop in line with the trend of the times.

· As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc and the global economy faces a bumpy recovery, it is all the more imperative that people around the world pull together to tide over this difficult time.

· China's development and progress since its WTO accession 20 years ago is the result of much hard work and great tenacity of the Chinese people under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China.