PR99937

BEIJING, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Guangdong Province in South China is seen as a pacesetter of the country's

reform and opening-up.

During his inspection tour of Guangdong from Monday to Thursday, Chinese

President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of remaining steadfast in

comprehensively deepening reform and expanding high-standard opening-up, and

urged the province to take the lead in advancing Chinese modernization.

'National treasure'

On Monday President Xi visited Zhanjiang City in Guangdong Province and learned

about its efforts in strengthening the protection of mangrove forests at

Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the biggest single mangrove forest

in China.

Calling mangrove forests a national treasure, Xi said, "We should protect

mangrove forests like we protect our eyes."

As the country is advancing the progress of "ecological civilization,"

protecting wetlands, including the mangrove forests, is increasingly in the

spotlight. According to official data released by the Chinese Ministry of

Natural Resources, about 55 percent of the mangrove wetlands in China are under

state protection, higher than the world average of 25 percent.

Data also shows that China's mangrove forests have increased from 22,000

hectares in 2001 to 27,000 hectares today, against the backdrop of global

shrinkage.

China will build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen, President Xi

said in a video speech at the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the

Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

(COP14) last November.

'The door of China's opening-up will never shut'

On Wednesday, President Xi visited LG Display's manufacturing base in Guangzhou

where he learned about Guangzhou's efforts to promote high-level opening-up and

advance high-quality development in manufacturing, and how local enterprises

boost innovation and build their own brands.

Amid sluggish global economic growth, China has accelerated the construction of

a new development paradigm and improved its business environment, Xi pointed

out, adding that China's market advantages will become more obvious.

He voiced the hope that foreign investors will seize the opportunity to come to

China, to Guangdong and to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to

be deeply rooted in the Chinese market and to create new glories for business

development.

Under the policy of high-standard opening-up, China has issued a series of

measures to level the playing field, so that foreign companies can enjoy a

better business environment in the country.

Last year, China renewed the Catalogue of Industries Encouraged for Foreign

Investment, which implemented provisional import tax rates lower than that of

the most-favored nations for 1,020 commodities, and further reduced the

most-favored-nation tariff rates for 62 IT products. Its overall tariff level

will drop from 7.4 percent to 7.3 percent after the adjustment.

China has established various platforms to reach overseas companies, such as

the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China International Consumer

Products Expo, and the China International Fair for Trade in Services.

In 2022, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual

use, increased by 8 percent year on year to $189.13 billion.

When visiting a research and development center of Guangzhou Automobile Group

Co., Ltd., Xi also stressed China's reform and opening-up policy will remain

unchanged for a long time and the door of China's opening-up will never shut.

"We are willing to meet halfway all countries that are willing to cooperate

with us for a win-win outcome to promote the common prosperity and development

of the world economy," said the Chinese president.

'Solid step by step'

President Xi also pledged solid efforts to advance the country's modernization

drive during this inspection tour.

He visited a lychee orchard and a longan and lychee cooperative on Tuesday to

learn about local efforts to develop a distinctive planting industry and

advance rural revitalization at Baiqiao Village in Genzi Township, Gaozhou City

of Maoming.

"To advance Chinese modernization, we must comprehensively promote rural

revitalization and solve the problem of unbalanced development between urban

and rural areas," Xi noted.

The integration of agriculture, e-commerce and tourism is a breakthrough for

Baiqiao Village to realize rural revitalization. By 2022, the per capita income

of villagers is estimated to be around 51,000 yuan ($7,410).

Xi told researchers, entrepreneurs, workers and representatives from the

overseas-funded enterprises that Chinese modernization is based on China's

realities, in line with its national conditions and with clear goals, plans and

strategies.

"We shall work steadily, step by step, to move forward [Chinese

modernization]," said Xi at the research and development center of Guangzhou

Automobile Group Co., Ltd., adding that Chinese modernization is fundamentally

different from the Western one, and China cannot take the path of Western

modernization, which he said features polarization and plundering of other

countries, since it will not work.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-13/China-takes-steps-to-deepen-reform-opening-up-advance-modernization-1iYtOEeCkVO/index.html

Source CGTN