Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Conference of the China Development Forum and delivered a keynote address.

On the morning of March 22, Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum 2026 annual meeting in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yue Yuewei

Beijing, March 22 (Xinhua) (Reporters Han Jie, Sun Nan) On the morning of March 22, Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum 2026 annual meeting in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech.

Li Qiang stated that the current international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, this is an era full of challenges and also an era full of hope. Looking globally, we see a scene where multiple trends coexist, intertwine, and collide: unilateralism and protectionism are rampant, while forces seeking cooperation and promoting development are also growing; economic growth in traditional fields faces difficulties, while the momentum for development in emerging fields is also rising; international rules and order are severely disrupted and impacted, while many countries are actively promoting the reform and improvement of global governance; power politics are rampant and reckless, while the call to defend fairness and justice is also rising. These phenomena deeply reflect the conflict of ideas, and from an economic development perspective, it mainly concerns how to view the market, development, and the future. Here, I would like to share three thoughts.

First, the market has become a scarce resource, but it can be continuously created. Looking back at history, every time the world economy emerged from difficulties and moved towards prosperity, it was not by competing for existing markets, but by creating new markets through openness and technological progress. Protectionism is not a panacea for solving problems. We should adhere to openness and pioneering spirit, expand free trade, and actively promote innovation. China's imports and exports are conducted under a framework of fair trade, and China will unswervingly advance high-level opening up, import more high-quality foreign goods, and work with all parties to promote optimized and balanced trade development, jointly enlarging the global economic and trade pie.

Second, development inevitably accompanies competition, but positive competition and cooperation can bring mutual benefits and win-win results. Viewing competition positively and promoting cooperation with pragmatic measures can empower each other and complement each other's strengths. The competitive advantage of China's related industries is not achieved through subsidies and protection, but through persistent deepening of reforms and advancing innovation-driven development, and most importantly, through the hard work of the Chinese people and enterprises. We oppose disorderly and irrational vicious competition, but under market economy conditions, positive competition can stimulate greater development momentum. China will continue to strive to maintain a fair competitive market order and is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with all parties to jointly promote the stability and security of global production and supply chains.

Third, although the road ahead is full of challenges, a better future is more promising. Only by firmly maintaining confidence, shouldering responsibility, and taking concrete actions can we move forward courageously and shape a future worth anticipating. China is committed to being the "certainty cornerstone" and "stability harbor" of the world. The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline is not only China's "new blueprint" for development but also a "new opportunity" for world development. China will focus on promoting high-quality development, strive to maintain stable economic growth, continue to create a favorable business environment, fully implement national treatment for foreign enterprises, and allow enterprises from all countries to develop and thrive in China with peace of mind.

Wu Zhenglong attended the opening ceremony.

This annual meeting is hosted by the Development Research Center of the State Council. Approximately 750 people, including New Development Bank President Rousseff, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Zou Jiayi, and representatives from domestic and foreign business circles, attended the opening ceremony.