He Lifeng: China will unswervingly expand high-level opening-up to the outside world

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng stated that China will remain committed to expanding high-level opening-up and promoting high-quality development.

According to Xinhua News Agency, He Lifeng met with Steve Schwarzman, the chairman and CEO of the US firm Blackstone, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday (April 23rd). He stated that in the first quarter of this year, China's economy achieved a good start, and its development resilience and vitality were further demonstrated.

Previously, the National Bureau of Statistics of China released the latest economic data last Thursday (the 16th), showing that the gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded from 4.5% in the fourth quarter of last year to 5% in the first quarter of this year, outperforming the expectations of Bloomberg and Reuters at 4.8%. Deutsche Bank and Barclays subsequently raised their forecasts for China's real GDP growth this year to 4.9% and 4.6% respectively.

He Lifeng stated that China will unswervingly expand high-level opening-up and promote high-quality development. He pointed out that China's vast market will provide greater opportunities and more choices for the world. He welcomed more foreign enterprises, including Blackstone Group, to continue deepening cooperation with China and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

Xinhua News Agency quoted Su Shixin as saying that Blackstone Group values its partnership with China and is willing to continue expanding its business in China, contributing to the promotion of US-China economic cooperation.