The Chinese government will create a more stable and transparent
environment for domestic and overseas enterprises, the trade
minister said in Beijing on Friday.
Shi Guangsheng of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic
Cooperation said China will improve its economic and trade
environment concerning policies, the legal system, administration
and the market for facilitate cooperation between domestic and
overseas businesses.
Shi made the remarks at the ministry's Spring Festival party
attended by heads and business representatives of foreign
diplomatic missions and international organizations in China and
their, and chief and business representatives of the liaison
offices of Hong Kong and Macao.
The minister said that despite difficult international
circumstances, China's foreign trade volume in 2001 reached
US$509.8 billion, a year-on-year growth of 7.5 percent.
Of
the total, exports grew 6.8 percent to US$266.2 billion and imports
rose 8.2 percent to US$243.6 billion.
The contracted volume of foreign investment totaled US$69.2
billion, up 10.4 percent, with the amount of foreign investment in
place jumping 14.9 percent to US$46.9 billion.
Shi said China's accession to the World Trade Organization marks
the beginning of a new stage of the country's reform and
opening-up, and China will take part in international economic
cooperation and competition in a wider scope and greater depth.
China is willing to continue the mutually beneficial trade and
economic relations with various countries and regions all over the
world for common development and prosperity, he said.
(
China Daily
January 26, 2002)