Trade and Investment Forum: Leaders highlight the importance of an open global economy
Updated 15:02, 09-Nov-2018
By CGTN's Wang Hui
["china"]
00:44
Government heads made keynote speeches stressing the significance of the expo on facilitating global trade as well as the importance of an open global economy at the CIIE's parallel session on Trade and Investment on Monday.
They tried to find solutions for boosting international trade and investment as well as injecting long-term development momentum into the global economy. 
Dimitry Kumsishvili, Georgia's first Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, shared his views on the expo. 
"China International Import Expo (CIIE) is the Chinese government's initiative [aiming to improve] the trade and balance in the region. We believe CIIE will serve as a powerful tool for trade facilitation in one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world," said the Vice PM.
"We strongly believe that openness, from what we are hearing today from the Chinese side, both in trade and investment, is an absolutely necessary element for global growth," said Dalia Grybauskaite, the President of Lithuania. "We are very happy to join efforts to secure and expand and open the global economy. " 
"China matters to the EU, and the EU matters to China. So, let's further deepen our partnership, strengthen the global rule-based trade system together," said Didier Reynders, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.