Premier Li Keqiang met with World Bank President David Malpass on Nov 20 in the Great Hall of the People.

Premier Li said that World Bank is a major multilateral development institution, with which developing ties is important to China. Through capital and knowledge cooperation, China is willing to increase common efforts with World Bank in key areas such as environmental protection, biological diversity, and poverty reduction and development. As a major developing country, China will fulfill its due responsibilities and obligations to jointly promote global development with World Bank.

According to Premier Li, the current international situation is complicated and challenging, with increasing downward pressure on the world economy.

“China’s economy has been heavily involved in the world, and we are deepening reform, expanding opening-up and speeding up construction of the market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment to further boost market vitality,” Premier Li said.

He expressed the country's willingness to deepen mutual beneficial cooperation with all parties, safeguard the rule-based free trade system in tackling current difficulties and instill vitality to global economic growth and respective development.

Malpass said that the world economy is facing severe challenges, which requires joint efforts from all parties. China’s economic development possesses huge potential with remarkable achievements in its reform and opening-up. Since the Chinese government is making unremitting efforts in many areas including achieving growth, coping with the aging population, technological innovation and environmental protection, World Bank is willing to strengthen its cooperation with China in these areas.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and head of the National Development and Reform Commission He Lifeng also attended the meeting.