Minister: Focus on high-quality development, trade

Zhong Shan, minister of commerce takes questions at a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing March 11, 2018. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn]

The country will continue to see high-quality development as the government's work agenda emphasis and aim to become a strong trading power by 2050, said Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan on Sunday.

"The country has become the world's leading trading power due to the outstanding performance of the domestic consumption, foreign trade, foreign capital and direct investment," said Zhong during the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. "We are big but not strong enough. To become a strong trading country, we need to drive the economic growth by innovation and high-quality development."

"We aim to stabilize our position as a big trading power by 2020, and transform into a strong trading country by 2035 and finally become an economic giant by 2050,"Zhong added.

Zhong said in the next five years, the ministry will focus on consumption sector, increase foreign trade competitiveness and bilateral investment, optimize the opening-up strategy in the regional level, improve international trading relationship and enhance service to the people.