Li welcomes more foreign experts
Appreciating the contributions of overseas talent, premier vows to make their stay easier
The Chinese government welcomes more foreign experts to work in China, Premier Li Keqiang said on Jan 18, as he pledged greater efforts to provide a favorable environment for expatriates to stay in the country.
The premier extended festive greetings to foreign experts in China, during a meeting in Beijing ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, which begins on Jan 21. He expressed his appreciation for their contributions to China’s reform, opening-up and modernization drive.
Li said he hopes foreign experts will offer more suggestions on the work of the Chinese government.
Efforts will be made to optimize the country’s work permit, visa and residence policies for foreign talent and improve policies relating to issues such as tax, purchase of foreign currencies, medical insurance and services, as well as the admission of foreigners’ children to schools, he said.
The seventh national census, which surveyed the nation’s population status on Nov 1, 2020, showed that more than 845,000 foreigners were living in China.
He said that China’s economy continues to face many difficulties and challenges, but it is believed that with the implementation of optimized and adjusted COVID-19 prevention and control measures, China’s economy will recover at an accelerated pace.
“We will further implement a package of policies and measures to stabilize the economy, growth, employment
and prices, and strive to get economic operations off to a good start this year,” the premier said.
Li stressed that China is committed to giving top priority to development, staunchly pursuing market-oriented reform, better protecting the rights and interests of foreign investors,
boosting the confidence of private enterprises, and fostering a marketoriented and law-based international business environment.
He said China remains committed to its basic state policy of opening-up, and it will open up its domestic market further and expand market access
for foreign investment.
“China is ready to learn from advanced technologies and management experience, continue extensive international cooperation with other countries, respond to common challenges facing the international community, and safeguard world peace, stability, development and prosperity,” he added.
Li noted that the Chinese government welcomes more foreign talent to come and work in China, and will continue to improve the level of convenience and services for foreign experts working in China.
Foreign direct investment on the Chinese mainland, in actual use, reached 1.23 trillion yuan ($182.13 billion) last year, a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce. In a notice issued on Jan 18, the State Council, China’s Cabinet, said foreign investment in establishing research and development centers in the country is encouraged.
Speaking about the Chinese economy’s performance in the past year, Li said that in the face of headwinds the nation has maintained employment and price stability and laid a solid foundation for sustainable development.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s economy grew 3 percent year-on-year to a record high 121.02 trillion yuan in 2022. The growth rate is higher than the 2.2 percent GDP expansion recorded in 2020.
Last year, China created over 12 million jobs in cities and townships, with the urban unemployment rate standing at 5.5 percent, Li said, adding that he believes the economy will pick up speed and recovery will accelerate due to optimization of the government’s COVID response policy.