BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met visiting Governor-General of New Zealand Jerry Mateparae on Wednesday, reassuring him that China is able to handle all kinds of risks and maintain medium-high growth.
In the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing, Li stressed that China's 7-percent growth rate in the first half of this year was hard-won as the world economic recovery is weak. He said China maintained fast growth in the service industry and emerging industry by encouraging people to start businesses and innovate.
China's second-quarter GDP expanded 7 percent year on year, unchanged from the first quarter, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last week.
China will continue with reforms such as streamlining administration, delegating power, strengthening regulation, improving services and opening wider to the world to withstand the downward pressure and turn risks into opportunities, Li vowed.
Mateparae said it is important for New Zealand that China can maintain its economic growth. New Zealand is confident in the future development of China's economy and willing to work with China to explore new cooperation opportunities, he added.
Li called on the two countries to cooperate more in areas including agriculture, animal husbandry, biological medicine, food safety and new energy.
Mateparae said the political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries were fruitful and the New Zealand government was satisfied with the development of bilateral relations.
China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Mateparae on Wednesday afternoon. He will conclude his China visit on Friday.