On September 9, 2014, Premier Li Keqiang, at invitation, conducted in Tinajin dialogues and exchanges with more than 200 heads of the world's top multinational companies and representatives from all walks of life such as research institutes and news media, who came to attend the 8th Summer Davos Forum. Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab chaired the dialogue meeting.
Li Keqiang welcomed the representatives to come to China to attend the meeting and made positive remarks on their contribution to promoting cooperation and exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Chairman of Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) Klaus Kleinfeld firstly asked Li Keqiang questions. He said, Chinese economy runs smoothly in the first half of this year, but like other countries in the world, China also faces severe challenges. What kinds of measures will the Chinese government take?
Li Keqiang pointed out that since this year, faced with complicated and intertwined domestic and international situations, we have maintained composure, taken initiative actions and been constantly innovating in the thinking and methods of macro-adjustment and control. On the basis of range management, we focus on implementing the directional and structural adjustment and control and thus achieve the overall stability in economic operation. Although some indicators fluctuated in July and August, it is inevitable in the situation of world economic downturn. What deserves attention is that the current employment situation in China is relatively positive, for the newly added employment population in cities and towns from January to August approaching the expected goal of 10 million this year. China's economy has great potential, and long-term positive factors for better performance. In the next stage, we will continue to maintain the continuity and stability of macro policies, manage well directional adjustment and control, and make pre-adjustment and slight adjustment in a timely and appropriate way. As the measures including stimulating vitality, making up the short board and strengthening entities, which not only benefit the present but also the future, gradually take effect, we have the confidence and ability to achieve full-year major expected goals.
In response to the questions about the progress of China's reform in almost a year and the focus of the next stage from Maurice Levy, CEO of France Publicis Groupe, Li Keqiang said that China has made positive progress in the promotion of comprehensively deepening reforms over the past year. The key to the economic systematic reform is to deal with the relationship between government and market. We vigorously promote streamlining administration and delegating power, strengthen regulations in the matter or after the matter, remove and reduce the burden on the enterprise and create a fair environment. Through the improvement of the system, tax cuts are accorded to small and micro enterprises, services and research and development institutions, which stimulate the enthusiasm of starting businesses and innovation of all aspects. Structural reform measures are adopted to promote structural adjustment and expand the space for the real economy, especially the development of the private sector. We will continue the promotion of comprehensively deepening reforms, perform well on the reform of the transformation of government functions, fiscal and taxation, finance, state-owned enterprises and others, release more reform dividends and solve development problems so as to enhance the driving force for development and improve people's well-being.
In response to Schwab's question about some foreign enterprises concerning that anti-monopoly investigations affect their business environment in China, Li Keqiang pointed out that the Chinese government conducts anti-monopoly in accordance with the law and in a transparent and consistent way. While implementing anti-monopoly, the government also fights against forged and fake commodities, infringement upon intellectual property rights, theft of trade secrets and other acts, aiming to maintain an environment for fair competition, make the market more open and better protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. We have always treated Chinese and foreign enterprises equally. Since the introduction of the Law on Anti-Monopoly in 2008, among all the price-fixing cases, less than 10% of them involve foreign-funded enterprises. China will continue to open its gate and continue to expand it. We will continue to improve and perfect the business environment. The implementation of open measures will be conducive to foreign capital and foreign products entering Chinese market. We hope that foreign enterprises will seize the opportunities hidden in China's development and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
Director-general of Global System for Mobile Communications Association Anne Bouverot, President of Saudi Aramco Khalid al-Falih and CEO of the Boston Consulting Group Richard I. Lesser respectively raised questions on China's international responsibilities, pollution treatment, monetary policy and so on, and Li Keqiang answered these questions one by one, and interacted and communicated with them.
Finally Schwab expressed that China's rapid economic development is a strong impetus to world economic growth. The World Economic Forum is willing to continue to maintain close cooperation with the Chinese side.
Sun Chunlan, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee, and Yang Jing, Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council attended the activities.