China’s Premier Li Qiang seeks to rally Asia behind Beijing

Boao, China — Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought to rally Asian nations behind China in his first public address to an international audience as premier.

On Wednesday, Li argued that China acted “responsibly” in its role as a great power and generally contributed to world peace.

“Peace is a prerequisite for development,” Li said in Mandarin Chinese translated by CNBC.

Hosted by China, the annual Boao Forum for Asia is seen as the region’s answer to the annual World Economic Forum gathering of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Li met with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva during the forum, according to state media.

His speech came as China launched a glamorous attack this month to retain and attract investment from foreign companies. The country eased its border controls in January after nearly three years of her strict Covid-zero restrictions.

Notably, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Beijing. He was one of several executives who met with Li at the closing of the China Development Forum, a government-sponsored conference, on Monday, according to a government statement.

Cook also met with Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s economic planning agency.

According to CNBC’s translation, China “hopes Apple will continue to be proactive in its corporate social responsibility and strengthen data and personal information protection,” the commission’s meeting read out in Chinese. is stated.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.