(Yicai Global) March 26 -- China will stick to its openness policy, stressed the country's Vice Premier Han Zheng, who is also a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Han made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of China Development Forum 2018 yesterday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

China will liberalize high-level investment and trade and devise policies that advance comprehensive opening, with a view to Belt and Road construction, he said.

Recognizing that China's economy has shifted toward a high-quality development phase is the "key" to understanding it, Han said.

With that "key," China will better able to better craft development approaches and policies and market entities will better be able to seize growth opportunities and countries around the world to negotiate with the country equally to gain reciprocal benefits and common development, he said.

China will persist with innovation-led development, ramp up investment in and hasten innovation as strong technological support for its development, Han said, adding that the nation will continue to ensure and improve people's livelihoods while boosting development and promoting social fairness and justice.

Han is confident about the Chinese economy's development and that China will continue to act as an important responsible global player and work with the world to further the building of a global community with a shared and beautiful future for mankind, he said.

This year's China Development Forum runs from March 24 to 26. Eighteen annual sessions have been held since its 2000 advent. It is an important platform for dialog between senior Chinese government officials, international business leaders and academics.