Chinese minister calls for more opening-up as key planning meeting looms
Commerce Minister Wang Wentao’s remarks echo similar calls by other senior officials ahead of annual central economic work conference
China’s commerce minister has urged the country to push forward with opening-up policies over the next five years to reshape China’s role in the global economy while bolstering domestic consumption, as Beijing gears up for one of its most important economic planning meetings of the year.
Commerce Minister Wang Wentao highlighted China’s commitment to open markets and multilateral trade in an article published in the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, People’s Daily, on Monday.
Wang said China would deepen its high-level opening-up policies and position itself on the right side of history by championing multilateralism and free trade amid rising unilateralism and protectionism.
“China used to play catch-up in its opening-up; now it aims to take a leading role,” Wang wrote, quoting a remark made by President Xi Jinping during a visit to China’s southern Guangdong province in 2020.
To achieve this, Wang said China would introduce more unilateral opening-up measures, negotiate trade agreements with more partners, and play a more active role in global rule-setting over the next five years.
Since 2012, China has established 22 pilot free trade zones and granted tariff-free market access to every least-developed country with which it has diplomatic relations, according to the article.