Collaboration strengthened as investment forum opens

Looking back over China's 40 years of reform, the country has achieved a turning point from closed to all-round opening-up, Cao Jianming, vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said at the forum.

Compared with the first seven months of 2017, foreign direct investment to China saw a 5.5 percent increase this year, reaching $76.1 billion, which stands out in the globally weak investment situation. The numbers should add confidence to foreign investors looking for growth opportunities in China, according to Cao.

"The world is going through a period of major development, major change and major adjustment. The overall global economic growth prospect is good; however, the foundation for steady recovery is not strong, and economic globalization faces challenges going forward."

Last year, global foreign direct investment shrank 23 percent and China has forecast a weak increase of global foreign direct investment this year.

China will continue to loosen its market access rules, promote the innovative reform of national free trade zones and improve the foreign investment environment through amending related laws, Cao said.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz introduced his country and showcased the nation's desire for cooperation with China. He said Mauritania has passed a new investment law, which provides more convenience for foreign enterprises and a transparent market to attract foreign investors, thereby promoting the country's economic growth.

Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Lim Jock Hoi said that Southeast Asian countries will continue to launch investment projects to improve their infrastructure, including the construction of railways, expressways, airports and harbors.

According to the secretary-general, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar are launching especially ambitious infrastructure projects, and said the ASEAN hopes to reduce transport costs by a third through an upgrade to the region's railways and expressways.

Radim Fiala, director of the economic committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, said that China has become an important trade partner for the country. According to the director, in the past five years, the country's exports to China have increased 70 percent and it expects further growth in the future. The growth of e-commerce and intelligent technologies, as well as China's reform and opening-up, bring more opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade communication, he said.

The Czech Republic attaches great significance to the Belt and Road Initiative and hopes to connect China and Europe as a logistics port, he said.