1st LD-Writethru: Xi vows non-stop effort in reform, opening up

BOAO, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday promised non-stop effort in reform and opening up and commitment to an open economy.

"We are optimistic about the prospect of China's economy," said Xi when holding discussions with representatives of entrepreneurs from home and abroad, who gathered here for the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

The president pledged extraordinary effort to shift China's economy in the new era from high-speed growth to high-quality development, from an expansion in quantity to improvement in quality, and from the criterion of "have-or-have-not" to one of "good-or-bad."

China will not stop its efforts to expand opening up and reform, nor will it close doors to the outside world, Xi said.

Xi reiterated China's commitment to an open world economy, vowing more contribution from China to the development of Asia and the world.

The president encouraged countries around the world "to board the express train of China's economy and share benefits from its reform, opening up and development."

"China will foster a more relaxed and orderly environment for entrepreneurs from home and abroad to make investment and start business," said Xi, calling on entrepreneurs to seek better development amid China's new journey of reform and opening up.

While stressing that anything under the Belt and Road Initiative has been "operated under sunshine," Xi said. "China seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others."

The president said China was promoting the drawing of a blueprint for the East Asia Economic Community, and advancing the building of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

The representatives said they were inspired by a series of new major measures for expanding reform and opening up, which were announced by President Xi at the opening ceremony of the BFA annual conference and sent a positive message on advancing globalization.

China's intensity on opening up and reform is unprecedented and its development brings continuous and sound development prospect for foreign investment, they said.

The representatives said they are willing to grasp the opportunity, actively participate in China's opening up and reform, and jointly build the Belt and Road, so as to achieve better development of the enterprises and jointly promote the Asian and world economy toward prosperity.

More than 70 representatives of entrepreneurs from home and abroad attended the discussion. Enditem