Silk Road spirit thrives in Ningxia

What's in your plan next?

Li: The Belt and Road Initiative turns Ningxia, an inland area, into the forefront of opening-up. We aim to build Ningxia into a leading area in terms of China-Arab cooperation, a demonstration zone for inland opening-up and a strategic carrier on the Silk Road Economic Belt in five to 10 years.

From your introduction, we know Ningxia is determined to open up. Can you share some experiences?

Li: As an inland area, Ningxia has no borders or coastlines, but we have still made progress in developing an inland opening-up economy, especially in China-Arab cooperation. In terms of building an opening-up and development model, we keep deepening cooperation with Arab countries and Muslim regions. More than 130 countries and regions are our partners now, and 51 cities from 38 countries are international friendship cities.

Besides, we attach equal importance to "bringing in" and "going out" strategies when developing our inland economy. We continue to make efforts to attract foreign investment and foreign companies, and encourage our companies to open branches or make investments overseas. We have attracted $10.4 billion from 880 foreign investors and institutions from 50 countries, including Amazon.com Inc from the United States.

In the first half of this year, direct investments in foreign countries and regions from companies in Ningxia reached $790 million, ranking ninth in China. We have an environment conducive to investment. We will continue to deepen reforms in the administrative examination and approval systems, and streamline administration and delegate power to lower levels, in order to create the best investment environment in the west and a better one than those in eastern China.

What do you expect from the coming China-Arab Expo?

Li: The China-Arab Expo is a national-level and international comprehensive expo approved by the State Council and organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the government of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. It provides a golden opportunity for Ningxia's opening-up. The theme of the coming expo is Promoting the Silk Road Spirit and Deepening China-Arab Cooperation, named after the title of a speech by President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the sixth ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. The expo aims to serve the Belt and Road Initiative and China's opening-up to the West. Next, we will hold a pragmatic, frugal, efficient and high-level international gala according to the central government's instructions and the overall plan for the expo.