BEIJING, Feb. 13 -- Ahead of the Spring Festival, Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday afternoon hosted a symposium at the Great Hall of the People for representatives of the foreign experts who won the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award, as well as other foreign experts working in China.

Li extended best wishes and sincere greetings for the Spring Festival to the foreign experts, and thanked them for their long-term concern 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 United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Uganda, Bulgaria, Belarus and Germany delivered speeches on topics such as sci-tech innovation, agricultural development, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, talent cultivation, and investment cooperation.

Li expressed the hope that foreign experts will remain committed to acting as a bridge between China and the world, and play greater roles in enhancing mutual trust and understanding, strengthening exchanges and mutual learning, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Foreign experts have built their careers in China, and their innovative achievements and work results create significant spillover effects, benefiting both China and the world, Li said.

The recommendations of the Communist Party of China Central Committee for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) lay out a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. He encouraged foreign experts to seize the opportunity, remain engaged and work together for a better future, while making greater contributions to the progress of human civilization.

Foreign experts working in China are sincere friends of the Chinese people, Li said, stressing that the Chinese government will strive to create a better environment for their life and work, and it will continue to safeguard peace and stability. It will also step up support through various innovation policies, and optimize services related to visas, social security, medical care and children's education, he added.

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 achieve professional success while experiencing the warmth of home, Li said.

Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang also attended the symposium.