NANNING CITY, South China (CCTV) — Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Tuesday once again guaranteed his country’s readiness to cooperate with Association of Southeast Asian Nations in boosting regional development and prosperity.
Zhang made the remarks at the start of the 14th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The vice premier also highlighted substantial collaborative achievements in various fields over the past few years and pinned high hopes on future cooperations with ASEAN countries in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
“In the coming five years, China will import commodities worth 8 trillion U.S. dollars and make overseas investment totaling 750 billion U.S. dollars. Up to 700 million overseas trips are to be made by Chinese nationals in these five years. We welcome ASEAN countries to further share the great opportunities created by China’s development, make joint efforts to boost regional development and prosperity and safeguard and promote stability and growth of the world economy, so as to make new contribution to the world peace and development,” said Zhang in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony.
The vice premier described the annual business and investment summit as an important platform serving to enhance political mutual trust as well as to step up trade cooperation and to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Also addressing the opening ceremony were Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin and Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Sonexay Siphandone.
Representatives from five enterprises engaged in building the Southern Transport Corridor on Tuesday reiterated their determination to create a shorter and more direct trade route between China and Southeast Asia.
When completed, the corridor will link up China’s Chongqing with Singapore as part of the envisaged overland connection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, also known as Belt and Road.
Symbolic well-wishing lotus flowers were lit and set off at the end of the opening ceremony.
As many as 10,000 purchasers are expected to cut their deals with 2,709 exhibitors during the four-day expo.
