China will further expand opening-up this year in alignment with high-standard international trade rules and will open its door wider to the world with a better business environment and services, Premier Li Qiang said Monday.

Opening-up is China's basic state policy and the country will keep promoting it irrespective of changes in the external environment, Li said.

Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the start of the reform and opening-up policies in China, the advent of which impacted not only China but the whole world, Li said most foreign companies are optimistic about development prospects in China.

He noted China's actual utilization of foreign investment reached a record high of more than $189 billion last year, almost $50 billion higher than that of three years ago, which he said demonstrates that China is still a popular destination for global investment.

The new premier also highlighted the China International Import Expo's (CIIE) important role in China's attempts to open up and share its development opportunities.

He said that as many as 2,800 enterprises from 127 countries and regions attended the CIIE in 2022, which has been held for five consecutive years in Shanghai.

China will only open wider to the world and welcome investors from across the globe, the premier added.

Responding to a question about China-U.S. ties, Li said some in the U.S. have been trumpeting the idea of decoupling with China and questioned how many people could truly benefit from this kind of hype.

Noting that bilateral trade was nearly $760 billion in 2022, he said the two countries are closely intertwined economically and benefit from each other's development.

China and the U.S. can and must cooperate, and the two countries can achieve a lot by working together, he said.