China-Central & Eastern Europe Ties: Premier Li addresses 16+1 Business Forum, hails long history of cooperation

World
Europe

01:44

Earlier, Premier Li attended the opening for the Business Forum of the 7th China-Central and Eastern Europe summit. Timothy Ulrich has more.

Li Keqiang addressed the Business Forum of the China-Central and Eastern Europe Summit. He hailed the long history of cooperation between China and the region. He then moved on to applaud the fruits of cooperation.

LI KEQIANG CHINESE PREMIER "In the first 5 months this year, the trade between our two sides rose by 24.5%. It shows that there is great potential for cooperation between us. Because China believes in multilateralism and global multipolarization. Europe is an important force for world peace and prosperity."

Li said China will continue its reform and opening-up in a world of growing unilateralism. He said China will cooperate with the 16 countries both openly and transparently. Premier Li also proposed financial institutes like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund cooperate with Chinese banks, to ensure the opening-up is well-funded.

LI KEQIANG CHINESE PREMIER "China will continue to open wider, including with market access to foreign investors and foreign products that meet Chinese consumers' needs. And we will lower the overall import tariffs step by step."

He also met with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, and after held a joint press conference. The two governments pledged joint efforts to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and safeguard the multilateral trading system.

Timothy Ulrich, CGTN.