Xi pledges country’s consistent effort to deepen reform, expand opening-up

President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that China will make consistent efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening-up, and also boost global cooperation to enhance opportunities.

Xi made the remark in a congratulatory message to the opening ceremony of the 3rd Understanding China Conference in Beijing.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, Xi said, adding that reform and opening-up over the past four decades helped write a splendid chapter in China’s growth, and have brought about closer connections between China and the world.

A conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of the nation’s reform and opening-up will be held on Tuesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during which Xi will deliver a speech.

In the congratulatory message, Xi said the country is pursuing a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, and will continue to advance supply-side structural reforms.

While making coordinated efforts to stabilize economic growth, deepen overall reforms, readjust the economic structure, promote people’s well-being and mitigate financial risks, China will pursue high-quality economic development so as to provide more opportunities for international cooperation, he said.

Xi noted that today’s world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, but peace and development remain the themes of the times as mankind faces common challenges.

China stands ready to work with all countries to promote a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and will jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Xi called on conference participants to promote understanding, exchanges and cooperation between China and the world so as to help realize shared development and prosperity.

More than 500 prominent political figures, business leaders and academic experts from around the world attended the opening ceremony of the three-day conference themed “China’s New Growth Drivers and New Opportunities for Global Cooperation”.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said China wants its people to live better lives through development, and doesn’t mean to challenge any country.

Coupled with its development, China will continue to serve as a stabilizer and provide a foundation for global peace and development, inject impetus into the world’s economic growth and build a platform for international win-win cooperation, Yang said.

It will also continue to work as a role model in poverty reduction, contribute China’s wisdom to the resolution of international hot spot issues and provide firm support for upholding of the international order, he added.

John Milligan-Whyte, chairman of the America-China Partnership Foundation, said in an interview that China’s reform and opening-up should be viewed in a positive way as China’s step-by-step opening-up will make it a modern country rather than posing a threat to others.