Full Text of Premier Li's address at World Economic Forum annual meeting(4)

This year, we have identified some key areas for investment, including building railways in central and western provinces, constructing water conservancy projects, rebuilding rundown urban areas and old houses in cities and villages, and preventing and controlling pollutions. The government will increase investment in these areas, and it will not act alone. Efforts will be made to break monopoly and reform the investment and financing systems to encourage the participation of private and foreign capitals. The model of public-private partnership (PPP), Sino-foreign cooperatives and government purchase of services will be adopted to better leverage various investment sources. I have an example here to cite. A few years ago, the plan was made to build a sewage treatment plant in a province in western China, and a total of 335 million RMB yuan was needed. The project later attracted investment from a German water company, with the German side controlling 70 percent of the total shares.

Moving forward, we will deepen fiscal and taxation reform, reduce the tax and fees charged to businesses, particularly those in the service sector, and take new steps to support SMEs. We will deepen reform of the financial system, continue to promote liberalization of interest and exchange rates, and accelerate the development of small- and medium-sized financial institutions, private banks in particular, with a view to developing a multi-tiered capital market. We will speed up reform of the pricing system, substantially reduce the types and items for which the government sets the prices, and liberate price regulation to the maximum extent possible. More emphasis will be given to the government' s role in creating a favorable "soft environment" . That means better market regulation, a world-class business environment established on market principles and the rule of law. In this way, we will be able to provide efficient and quality public services to all market players.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China' s reform and development will bring more business opportunities to the world. We will provide easier market access for inbound foreign investment, and explore the possibility of management based on a pre-establishment national treatment and negative-list approach. Chinese and foreign companies will be treated as equals. We will further open the financial, education, cultural, medical care, pension and other service sectors in an orderly way, and bring the experience of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone to other parts of China. Our aim is to help investors from across countries find "rich mines" and reap steady returns from their investment.

What is more, China will explore new approaches to investment cooperation with other countries. China' s high-speed railway, nuclear power, aviation, telecommunications and other sophisticated manufacturing capacities are gradually being introduced to other countries. They could meet market demand of the recipient country, and stand the test of competition on the international market. Their export will also help open up third-country markets, as many of such products are made by joint ventures between China and a foreign country. China has put forward the initiatives to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. China hopes to work with other countries to advance these initiatives and ensure that they are brought forward in ways that meet the actual needs of countries concerned.

Davos of Switzerland is a world-famous ski resort. As we understand, to be a good skier, one needs to do three things: go at the right speed, keep balance and be courageous. I believe this also holds true for the Chinese economy. What is important now for China is to adapt to the new normal. China will maintain medium-to-high speed of growth, keep a proper balance between steady growth and structural adjustment, and push forward reform with great courage and determination. China will stay firm in its commitment to reform and opening-up. It will focus on structural reform, encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation, increase supply of public goods and services, and use the twin engines to ensure that the economy maintains medium-to-high speed of growth and achieves medium-to-high level of development. As long as we succeed in doing so, the Chinese economy will successfully overcome the "middle-income trap" and move ahead along the path of sustainable and sound development. This will in turn bring greater opportunities to the world economy.

In closing, I would like to call upon the international community to forge ahead and work in unison to uphold peace and stability, embrace harmonious coexistence, and boost the impetus for openness and innovation. By doing so, I am confident we will be able to overcome whatever difficulty or obstacle that stand in our way, and bring about a better future for the world that we all call home.

Thank you very much.