Highlights of premier’s news conference
ON KOREAN PENINSULA
“It is just common sense that no one wants to see chaos at their doorstep.”
Premier Li Keqiang said China’s steadfast position is to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and he urged parties concerned to de-escalate tension and return to talks.
ON CHINA-RUSSIA TIES
“In the first two months of this year, there was a big surge in China-Russia trade.”
Li said that China and Russia enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and the sound and steady development of China-Russia relations is good not only for the region, but also the world.
ON CROSS-STRAITS RELATIONS
“Our resolve and sincerity in safeguarding the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations will not waver.”
Li said the mainland maintains its stance of opposing “Taiwan independence” and will continue to uphold the 1992 Consensus — which acknowledges that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China — as the political foundation for cross-Straits relations.
ON HONG KONG
“The principle of One Country, Two Systems must be fully perceived and implemented, and it should be steadfastly applied without being bent or distorted.”
Li said the central government is planning to establish a bond market link between the mainland and Hong Kong on a trial basis this year, allowing overseas capital better access to the mainland’s bond market.
ON EUROPEAN UNION
“China looks forward to a positive response from the EU on the ongoing bilateral investment treaty negotiations.”
Li urged the EU to ease its hightech export restrictions on China and reiterated that China prefers trade balance and will further open up its market to European companies and treat them the same as domestic ones.
ON GOVERNMENT REFORM
“We are fully determined to push the reform forward until our job is done, no matter what obstacles — or even resistance — we may encounter.”
Li said China will forge ahead with reform to balance the government-market relationship, pledging simplified administrative procedures and delegation of power.
ON EXCHANGE RATE
“China has no intention of devaluing its currency to boost exports ... and China does not hope to be involved in any trade war, either.”
Li said the depreciation of the Chinese yuan against the dollar was quite modest last year, and China still has the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world, sufficient to pay for imports and repay short-term external debts.