China’s further opening-up provides more opportunities for world

A staff member from the Saudi Arabia pavilion communicates with a Chinese buyer. (Photo by Wang Xiaobo/People’s Daily)

The second China International Import Expo (CIIE) kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on Nov. 5. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech titled “Openness and Cooperation for a Shared Future”

Participants to the second CIIE lauded Xi’s speech and said that the Chinese President’s remarks demonstrate China’s determination and confidence to further open up, show the sense of responsibility of a major country in the changing world, and display the country’s sincerity in sharing opportunities and realizing common development with the world.

They believe that Xi’s speech will pool more resources to build an open world economy featuring cooperation, innovation and mutual benefits, as well as a community with a shared future for mankind.

Edgar Vazquez, Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, said that Xi’s speech showcased China’s position to support multilateralism and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and also China’s will to share opportunities with its partners for common development. It demonstrated the generosity of a leader of a major country, he remarked.

It is of huge significance for countries including Peru to participate in the CIIE, Vazquez pointed out, adding that Peru will seize the opportunity of China’s further opening-up and bring more high-quality products to the Chinese consumers. Meanwhile, Peru also welcomes more Chinese investors and tourists, he said.

Citing Xi’s remarks in the speech that countries need to step up cooperation in innovation, facilitate integration of science and technology with economic growth, and increase the sharing of innovation results, Susanne Hyldelund, State Secretary for Trade at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, told People’s Daily that the Chinese President has provided solutions for global countries to jointly build an open world economy with innovation.

Raj Modi, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce expressed his gratitude to China for providing such a platform, saying the CIIE is of great significance in enhancing trade exchanges among countries, analyzing global economic situation and making constructive solutions.

China’s measures to expand opening up its market and improve its business environment are based on the multilateral trading system, said Luis Miguel Etchevehere, Argentina’s minister of agro-industry. Etchevehere believes that China’s all-round opening-up will bring about important opportunities for all countries in the world.

The continuous efforts of the Chinese government to open up the market are obvious to all and have greatly enhanced the confidence of foreign companies in the Chinese market, said Yoke Loon Lim, President of the Greater China of the Dow Chemical Company, an American multinational chemical corporation.

As far as he’s concerned, China, the most promising consumer market in the world, is upgrading consumption on a large scale, which means greater opportunities for his company. Lim said their confidence in the Chinese market has never wavered.

Bernd Eitel, Head of Group Communications at Lafarge Holcim, a European building materials company told People’s Daily that the world is entering an era of industry 4.0, where countries are closely intertwined and have become a community of shared destiny.

He believes that against such a background, all countries should be more inclusive, open and up for challenges.

President Xi has delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremonies of both the first CIIE and the second one, which demonstrates that the Chinese government attaches great importance to expanding import, so as to promote a new round of high-level opening-up and the common development of the world, Eitel noted.

President Xi’s keynote speech was inspiring, said Lu Zheng, deputy general manager of Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

Lu added that while transforming the growth model and promoting the high-quality economic development, China will continue to create more opportunities for world economic growth.

Xi said in his speech that the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2020 ranked China 31st, up by 15 places from last year’s ranking of 46th, and this indicates the recognition of China’s achievements in optimizing reform and opening-up and business environment by the international community, said Professor Shen Guobing, Deputy Director of the Institute of World Economy, Fudan University.

Based on the consensus on improving business environment, each region of the country has been constantly rolling out practical measures, Shen added.