Premier Li calls to promote free trade at 21st APT Summit

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called to take concrete actions to promote free trade in a speech at the 21st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China, Japan and South Korea leaders' meeting on Thursday.

He asked the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) countries to provide a stable, predictable, free and law-based environment to the market and make contributions to the regional development and global peace and stability.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, whose country holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship this year, hosted the summit.

"We must continue to maintain an open, rule-based and inclusive global trade environment" for all members, said the prime minister in his opening remarks, adding that the group should redouble its efforts to uphold multilateralism so as to tackle the common challenges of growing trade tensions, the digital revolution, and cyber security.

Leaders from the 10 member states of the ASEAN, as well as China, Japan and South Korea, meet in Singapore from Wednesday to Thursday for the 21st APT Summit as well as their respective ASEAN Plus One Summits.

A number of dialogue mechanisms at various levels have been established within the framework of 10+3, covering diplomacy, economy, finance, agriculture, labor, tourism, environment, the fight against cross-border crime, health care, energy, telecommunications, social welfare and administration innovation.