China’s premier tells world’s trade, finance leaders that its ‘doors will be opened wider’
- Li Keqiang vows to ‘facilitate international exchanges and people mobility’, at annual round-table gathering featuring face-to-face exchanges with heads of IMF, World Bank, WTO and others
- China’s economic slowdown this year – largely owing to its strict zero-Covid policy – has put additional strain on the global economy
The world’s second-largest economy will also be able to safeguard global supply chains and continue to be investor-friendly, Premier Li Keqiang vowed on Friday at the 1+6 Roundtable, an annual dialogue between China and six major international organisations.
“We’ll further smooth logistics to ensure stable operations of industrial and supply chains,” Li was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. “We’ll also facilitate international exchanges and people mobility.”
The annual dialogue is a key platform that China uses to communicate its economic policies and role on the world stage. The two-day gathering, in Huangshan city, Anhui province, also marks the first time that the meeting has been held in person in three years.
The meeting was attended by heads of the World Bank; World Trade Organization (WTO); International Monetary Fund (IMF); International Labour Organization; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and Financial Stability Board.
“We welcome very much the decisive actions taken by the Chinese authorities … to recalibrate the Covid policies so as to create a better impetus for the revival of growth in China,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said at a press briefing with the heads of other major economic institutions on Friday.
“China’s performance matters [not just] to China – it matters to the world economy, as well.”