China-EU freight train, carrying juice, plastic products and daily necessities, pulls out of the station at Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, heading to Khorgas in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on February 22. Photo: cnsphoto

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed on Thursday that China is open to global cooperation, whether in science and technology or in investment and trade, as the annual two sessions closed on Thursday. 

Analysts said Li's statement showed China's open attitude toward international cooperation and global investors against the headwinds of protectionism and unilateralism, and such an attitude will benefit both China and the world.

Li said China's determination and efforts to make further advances in the fields of science and technology are compatible with promoting global cooperation, as scientific inventions require cooperation and joint efforts.

China is willing to strengthen such cooperation on the basis of protecting intellectual property rights and jointly promoting the progress of human civilization, Li added.

Huo Jianguo, a vice president of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday that the Premier's statement will help disperse doubts held by some foreign companies, by emphasizing that China's scientific and technology scaling up won't be a closed-door effort.

In the field of trade and investment, Li said China will further actively promote opening-up, continue to cut the "negative list" for foreign investment in China, and boost the opening up of its services sector.

China's new development pattern of "dual circulation" aims to develop both the domestic market and expand international opening-up, Li said.

He stressed that China's economy has been deeply integrated with the international economy and therefore couldn't seek development by closing its doors. By developing the domestic market, China will provide great opportunities for foreign capital, products and services.

However, promoting opening-up requires joint efforts by all countries and meeting one another, Li said. He gave the example of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which is comprised of countries that have different social systems, cultural customs and development stages.

"This shows that only based on mutual respect and equal treatment, can countries achieve consensus and common interests, helping promote the well-being of peoples, and stabilize industry and supply chains to inject momentum into the global economy," Li said.

"We hold an active and open attitude to both multilateral and bilateral mechanisms, if they are beneficial for mutual benefits," Li said.

Experts said the statement was a rebuke to forces promoting decoupling and trade friction, and the statement was a vote of confidence on open global cooperation. 

China will continue to improve its market-oriented, world-class business climate, governed by a sound legal framework, and expand market access for foreign investors, said Li.