Premier Li Keqiang said on Sept 9 that China will continue its efforts to maintain world peace and regional stability, and also to help promote free trade.

The premier made the comments during a meeting with entrepreneurs and business leaders ahead of the Summer Davos Forum in North China’s Tianjin Municipality.

He said that China will work together with neighboring countries to create a peaceful environment for economic and social development.

China has also sent the highest number of peacekeepers overseas among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and the country has thus shouldered its responsibilities for maintaining peace around the world.

Li added that, though China is a developing country, it represents a huge market with nearly $2 trillion of commodity imports last year, accounting for 10% of the global figure.

He said China has strived for negotiations based on mutual understanding — rather than launching trade wars to solve disputes related to international trade.

China will do the best to host the 22nd informal leaders’ meeting of the APEC to be held in November, and China hopes that APEC will benefit the whole world — and not only economies in the region, Li said.