Visits illustrate China remains a driving force behind global integration: experts
At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, prime ministers of Barbados, Mongolia, New Zealand and Vietnam will attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin, China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. The visiting prime ministers will also pay official visits to China.
Premier Li will attend the opening ceremony, deliver a keynote speech, meet with Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum and other foreign dignitaries, as well as World Economic Forum global business leaders, the Xinhua News Agency reported, adding that the theme of this year’s meeting is “Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force of the Global Economy.”
The meeting will be held from June 27 to 29 and marks as the first offline Summer Davos Forum held in four years post-pandemic. It represents China’s continuous efforts in expanding international friendships, injecting more impetus for global economic recovery, and strengthening regional cooperation and exchanges, experts said.
The prime ministers’ scheduled visit to China reflects international community’s welcoming stance toward China, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
It is believed that many political and business dignitaries from around the world will attend the forum, as a majority of countries value their relations with China, and that the international community wants to see a prosperous and confident China, Li noted.
Since the start of 2023, China has welcomed many visitors from the rest of the world ranging from business representatives to senior officials, with key high-level interactions achieved. The successful holding of vital global events such as the Boao Forum and the China-Central Asia Summit further proved the nation’s determination in continuously promoting high-quality opening-up, experts said.
The forum shows to the world that China remains one of major driving forces behind global economic integration, and the fact that Chinese policy is in line with the trend of the times, Li Haidong said.
China has always been open to the world. In other words, the Chinese market is full of rich resources, which is attractive to the global market, meaning that the other economies can continue to seek opportunities in China, he added.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted the major goals and expectations for the prime ministers’ upcoming visits, while stressing achievements made between China and those countries.
For instance, Mao noted that China and New Zealand are each other’s important cooperation partners, and over the course of more than half a century, China-New Zealand relations have enjoyed sound growth.
As the impending trip marks Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’s first visit to China after taking office, leaders of the two sides will hold in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, Mao said, adding that China hopes this visit will be an opportunity to enhance mutual trust and advance cooperation to benefit both countries and peoples.
The delegation team led by Hipkins to China may include representatives in various sectors such as business, education and tourism, aiming to seek more cooperation opportunities with New Zealand’s biggest trading partner, Sun Chang, a research assistant at the Institute of Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Sun said that the bilateral exchanges in various areas will be elevated following Hipkins’ visit, adding more trading potential may be unleashed for New Zealand’s high-quality industries such as dairy and meat products which have a huge market demand in China.
As for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit, Mao noted that China and Vietnam will discuss ways and steps to act on the top leaderships’ common understandings, and exchange views on deepening the Belt and Road cooperation, enhancing connectivity and stabilizing industrial and supply chains.
The latest proposed cooperation comes as China has resumed cross-border electricity exports to Vietnam for the first time after a seven-year hiatus amid Vietnam’s recent power crunch. China-Vietnam trade in the first five months of 2023 reached 122.01 billion yuan ($17 billion), a year-on-year increase of 4.8 percent, Chinese customs data showed.
The Summer Davos Forum will attract about 1,500 participants from businesses, international organizations and academia, and will renew momentum for innovation and entrepreneurship to drive economic growth and a more equitable, sustainable and resilient global development.
(Global Times)
