On the afternoon of February 13, 2026, as the Spring Festival approaches, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council hosted a symposium at the Great Hall of the People and exchanged ideas with foreign experts who won the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award and other representatives of foreign experts working in China.

Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

Li Qiang extended best wishes and sincere greetings for the Spring Festival to the foreign experts, and thanked them for their long-term care and support for China's modernization efforts. He also listened to their opinions and suggestions on China's development and government work. Experts from countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Uganda, Bulgaria, Belarus, and Germany delivered speeches on topics such as scientific and technological innovation, agricultural development, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, talent cultivation, and investment cooperation.

Li Qiang pointed out that the world today has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and the international order is severely impacted. However, science knows no borders, and art knows no borders. Upholding openness and cooperation is not only the common aspiration of the people but also the right way forward. China consistently pursues the basic state policy of opening up and continuously expands international cooperation across various fields. Li Qiang expressed the hope that foreign experts will remain committed to acting as bridges and bonds connecting China and the world, and playing a greater role in enhancing understanding and mutual trust, strengthening exchanges and mutual learning, and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results. Last year, China's economy forged ahead with innovation-led and high-quality development despite mounting pressure, and its growth rate continued to rank among the highest of the world's major economies. At the same time, as an open and inclusive global market, a vibrant hub of innovation, and an active contributor to green development, China continues to contribute its capabilities to meet global needs. Foreign experts have rooted themselves in China to build their careers. Their innovative achievements and professional accomplishments generate significant spillover effects, benefiting both China and the world at large. The Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee have drawn a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. Li Qiang expressed the hope that foreign experts will seize the opportunities, continue to deepen their engagement in China, and jointly create a better future, while making greater contributions to the progress of human civilization.

Li Qiang emphasized that foreign experts working in China are sincere friends of the Chinese people. The Chinese government will strive to create a better environment for their work and life, continue to safeguard peace and tranquility, enhance policy support for various innovation initiatives, and optimize services related to visas, social security, medical care, and children's education. These efforts aim to ensure that talent from various countries can feel more secure at work, more comfortable in daily life, and more satisfied with their development in China, enabling them to reap the fruitful results of career development while experiencing the warmth of home.

Wu Zhenglong and Shen Yiqin attended the symposium.