Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a symposium with overseas buyers attending the 135th session of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a symposium with overseas buyers attending the 135th session of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou on Wednesday.

Overseas buyer representatives spoke about their experience in strengthening cooperation with China through the Canton Fair, noting that the fair has long played an important role in promoting trade exchanges and friendly relations between China and other countries.

The representatives said they are full of confidence in the prospects of China's economic development. They are ready to use the Canton Fair as a platform to continue expanding business in China, and to make positive contributions to the promotion of free trade and the maintenance of global supply chain stability.

They also put forward opinions and suggestions on developing the circular and green economies, on optimizing the business environment in China, and on strengthening people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Li said he appreciates their long-term, active participation in the Canton Fair, as well as their vigorous economic and trade cooperation with China. He noted that many overseas enterprises have made connections with China through the Canton Fair, and have grown stronger along with China's development.

The history of the Canton Fair is a history of companies from all over the world sharing China's opportunities and achieving mutual benefits, and a microcosm of China's continuous opening-up and active integration into the international market, Li said.

China will steadfastly open wider to the outside world at a high level, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, he said. It will continue to inject stability into global trade and the world economy with the certainty of its own development, and provide broader space for the development of enterprises from all countries.

Li said that overseas enterprises have long been making positive contributions to promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and the world, to connecting Chinese manufacturing and overseas markets, and to promoting efficient matches between global supply and demand.

It is expected that overseas enterprises will continue to explore the Chinese market, expand business in China, share more in the opportunities brought by China's huge market demand, opening-up and development, and act as ambassadors of friendship to enhance mutual understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other countries, Li said.

He noted that China will promote the alignment of high-standard international economic and trade rules, continue expanding market access, and ensure foreign-funded enterprises receive equal treatment to their domestic peers. China will also strengthen service guarantees for foreign investment and intellectual property protection, earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign companies in China, and provide more support and convenience for international businesspeople and foreigners living and working in China.