Aerial photo taken on March 29, 2018 shows the Wangyuedao Island in the Baiyangdian Lake in Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province. /Xinhua Photo
Further opening-up
This year is not only the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, but also the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the establishment of the country's first Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Shanghai – both represent China's efforts to boost win-win cooperation with the world.
Proposed by Xi in 2013, the BRI comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.
China has already signed cooperation agreements with more than 130 countries and international organizations under the BRI.
Following the establishment of the first Pilot FTZ in the country's financial hub Shanghai five years ago, China expanded the practice to Tianjin Municipality and Guangdong and Fujian provinces in 2015, and to Liaoning, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces as well as Chongqing Municipality in 2017. This year, China approved the establishment of its 12th Pilot FTZ in the southern island province of Hainan.
In April, Xi announced new measures to advance reform and opening-up during a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan. The measures included expanding market access to foreign capital, increasing imports, lowering tariffs, and strengthening protection of intellectual property rights.
The Chinese president underscored Beijing's commitment to reform and opening-up repeatedly at major international events this year such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the BRICS summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, and the Group of 20 (G20) summit.
Last month, he reinforced the message at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai: "China's economic growth over the past 40 years has been achieved with a commitment to opening-up. In the same vein, high-quality development of China's economy in the future can only be guaranteed with greater openness. I have made it clear once and again that China's door will never be closed. It will only open still wider."
Addressing the opening ceremony of the CIIE, Xi pledged that the country will step up efforts to stimulate the potential for increased imports, continue to broaden market access, foster a world-class business environment, explore new horizons of opening-up, and promote international cooperation at multilateral and bilateral levels.
(With inputs from Xinhua)
