China never deliberately pursued a trade surplus and is willing to be “the world’s market”, Vice Premier He Lifeng told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday.
China is willing to leverage the advantage from its “mega-sized market” and “more vigorously” expand imports, He said at the WEF’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort Davos.
“We are not only willing to be the world’s factory, but also, more eagerly, to be the world’s market,” He said.
Resilient goods exports last year helped the world’s second-largest economy weather challenges from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies and lukewarm demand at home.
Vice Premier He is leading a Chinese government delegation to this week’s WEF summit, where some 2,900 delegates include various heads of state, including Trump, as well as top tech and financial executives.
He’s Chinese delegation is expected to present China as a reliable trade and investment partner at a time when Washington’s tariff policies have unsettled both rivals and allies.
“China is all countries’ trading partner rather than an adversary, and China’s development is an opportunity rather than a threat to global economic development,” He said in his WEF address.
