China has helped to create some 10 million jobs worldwide since 2001 when it joined the World Trade Organization, thanks to its massive imports, Vice President Zeng Qinghong said April 23.
"Since it joined the WTO, China has imported close to US$500 billion of goods annually, creating about 10 million jobs for other countries and regions," Zeng said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
He also underlined that China's imports from other Asian countries had risen to $440 billion in 2005, a climb of 2% on the previous year that meant they now accounted for 67% of China's total imports.
Overseas investment by Chinese companies has increased 20% in the past year, 80% of that in Asia, he added.
Zeng was speaking at the opening of the Boao forum on the southern island of Hainan, a regional meeting of politicians, business leaders and academics.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006
