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BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

China on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to opening wider and sharing

development opportunities with the world. It pledged to further expand import

and "pursue balanced development of trade."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LItP2fA_Ps8

The country also called on the international community to promote and improve

economic globalization while rejecting unilateralism and protectionism.

"We will not change our resolve to open wider at a high standard; we will not

change our determination to share development opportunities with the rest of

the world; and we will not change our commitment to an economic globalization

that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all," Chinese

President Xi Jinping said when delivering a keynote speech via video at the 4th

China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Launched in 2018, the annual CIIE is the first dedicated import exhibition in

the world. This year's expo is scheduled from Friday to next Wednesday in

Shanghai, east China.

20th anniversary of China's WTO accession

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the World Trade

Organization (WTO). Xi reviewed the country's progress in deepening reform and

expanding openness during the past two decades.

"China has fully delivered on its accession commitments," he said. "Its overall

tariff rate has been cut from 15.3 percent to 7.4 percent, lower than the 9.8

percent accession commitment."

China's central government has reviewed and revised over 2,300 laws and

regulations, and local governments have reviewed and revised 190,000, he added.

To facilitate the global fight against COVID-19, China has provided about 350

billion masks and over 1.6 billion doses of vaccines to the international

community, he noted.

China has grown from the world's sixth-largest economy to the second largest

over the past two decades; meanwhile, its trade in goods has grown from the

sixth to the largest in the world, and trade in services from the 11th to the

second, according to Xi.  

"The past 20 years have witnessed a China deepening reform and pursuing

all-round opening-up, a China seizing opportunities and rising to challenges,

and a China stepping up to its responsibilities and benefiting the whole

world," he said, describing opening as the "hallmark of contemporary China."

China to 'lay more emphasis on expanding import'

The CIIE is an important platform to promote global free trade and

international cooperation. From 2018 to 2020, the intended turnover of the

previous three expos reached about $201.6 billion. The 4th CIIE is expected to

attract nearly 3,000 businesses from 127 countries and regions.

China has been the world's second-largest importer for 11 consecutive years,

according to the Ministry of Commerce. And Xi said the country will make more

efforts to boost import.

"China will open more demonstration zones for creative promotion of import

trade, optimize the catalog of retail imports via cross-border e-commerce,

encourage the on-site processing of imported goods from trading between border

residents, and increase imports from neighboring countries," he announced.

China's total imports and exports expanded 22.7 percent year on year to 28.33

trillion yuan (about $4.38 trillion) in the first three quarters of 2021, data

from the General Administration of Customs showed. Both exports and imports

continued double-digit growth in the first nine months of the year, surging

22.7 percent and 22.6 percent from a year earlier, respectively.

"Going forward, China will lay more emphasis on expanding import, and pursue

balanced development of trade," Xi said.

The country will firmly safeguard true multilateralism, share market

opportunities with the rest of the world, promote high-standard opening-up, and

uphold the common interests of the world, he stressed.

China will shorten the negative list for foreign investment, and revise and

enlarge the encouraged industry catalog to guide more foreign investment toward

sectors such as advanced manufacturing, modern services, high and new

technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, he said.

China will "work actively for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive

Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)," he said. The country has

officially applied to join the CPTPP, a free trade agreement between 11

countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Xi added that China will promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to

bring more benefits to countries taking part in the initiative.

"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," he said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-11-04/Xi-Jinping-addresses-opening-ceremony-of-CIIE-14V5bYl3lny/index.html

SOURCE: CGTN