Chinese premier: China treats all forms of enterprises equally

China is committed to creating a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, and will treat enterprises of all ownership equally, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang addresses the 7th China-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Business Summit in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 24, 2019. Li attended the summit with ROK President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Li made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 7th China-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Business Summit in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

China will not adopt protectionism because of trade deficits with the ROK and Japan, Li said, noting that China is unswervingly expanding its opening-up and its door to the outside world will open even wider.

He also welcomed companies of the ROK and Japan to seize the opportunity of China's opening up to take advantage of the growing business opportunities, so as to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the trilateral cooperation, Li said. Despite changes in the international landscape, pragmatic cooperation among the three sides has continued to advance in the past two decades, which is in accordance with the common interests of the three countries and their peoples.

The premier expressed willingness that China, Japan and the ROK would further consolidate political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and jointly meet challenges, so as to make new contributions to the prosperity and stability of the region and even the world.

Regarding regional economic integration, Li said China, Japan and the ROK are all firm supporters of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations and that they should work together to ensure the formal signing of the deal next year on the basis of the progress reached last month in Bangkok.

If signed, it will become the world's largest free-trade zone that accounts for nearly 30 percent of global trade as well as about a third of global gross domestic product.

"The three sides should promote the China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement talks to make substantial progress at an early date," said the premier.

Li hoped the three countries can jointly create new growth points in the modern services sectors.

"China will accelerate the opening of services sectors based on the full liberalization of the manufacturing industry, allowing more areas to implement wholly foreign-owned operations," the premier said, adding China's investment environment will be more fair, transparent and predictable.

He welcomed the ROK and Japan to play complementary advantages and "make the pie of cooperation bigger".

Leaders of the ROK and Japan highly appreciated China's reform and opening up, adding their companies have actively participated in this process and achieved win-win results.

The ROK and Japan are willing to work with China together to maintain the free trade system, reduce trade barriers and create a fair, just and predictable business environment for each other's businesses, they said.

The two countries' leaders also voiced hope on the early signing of the RCEP and advanced China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement talks.

About 800 people from industrial and commercial circles and governments of the three countries attended the business summit, which is held ahead of the 8th China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting.