China Pledges More Balanced Trade and Further Opening of the Economy After Record Surplus

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on a big screen live broadcasting his speech at the opening of the China Development Forum 2026 held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, March 22, 2026. Ng Han Guan/Pool via REUTERS

Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open the country’s economy to foreign firms and pursue more balanced trade with its global partners, after a year marked by trade friction and tariff wars with the United States and European Union in particular.

China will import more high-quality foreign goods and work with all parties to promote optimised and balanced trade development and expand the global trade pie, Li told the China Development Forum in Beijing, according to state media.

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