Canton Fair Urged to Further Promote Opening-up and Trade
Chinese president Xi Jinping renewed China's pledge to work with other nations in upholding true multilateralism and promoting the development of a high-level open world economy as he congratulated the opening of the 130th session of the China Import and Export Fair on last Thursday.
In a message sent to the fair, also known as the Canton Fair, Xi encouraged it to develop itself into a key platform for the nation to promote acrossthe-board opening-up and high-quality growth of international trade, and to connect domestic and international markets.
He commended the fair, first held 65 years ago, for making important contributions to serving international trade, promoting domestic and international connectivity and spurring economic growth.
Against a backdrop of major changes unseen in a century, a global pandemic and profound reforms regarding international trade, the fair should serve the nation's fostering of a new development paradigm, innovate its mechanisms, enrich its models and expand its functions, he said.
In a keynote speech delivered at the opening of the fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Premier Li Keqiang called on nations to uphold openness and cooperation to jointly promote economic recovery.
He said China is both capable and confident of achieving the goals and completing the tasks set for this year, with the nation's economic growth showing strong resilience and vitality.
China's economy is on track for a sustained and stable recovery, and its major indicators are now within an appropriate range, he said, adding that the nation will continue expanding imports of high-quality products and services and maintain the consistency and stability of its foreign trade policies.
Li reiterated the nation's commitment to fostering a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework, saying that China will always strive to make itself a top attraction to foreign investment.
This year's fair attracted over 7,800 businesses to take part in its offline exhibitions, with about 26,000 businesses and buyers taking part in exhibitions online.
Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, said that he is pleased to visit the exhibition area in person this time, adding that the Canton Fair has not only been instrumental in the growth of ChinaUS business, but has also served as an important tool for bilateral trade.
Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said the Canton Fair, one of the most important platforms for China to propel foreign trade, has also become an important barometer of global trade activity.
"The fair is of greater significance this year, as it comes when the nation needs to strengthen interaction with the rest of the world to jointly stabilize and optimize global supply chains, while pushing forward innovation to revamp domestic economic development toward a greener and more low-carbon pathway," he said.