Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at a news conference after the closing session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, March 15, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]
Premier Li Keqiang dismissed claims on Sunday that 皇冠体育app has been a "free rider" in international affairs, saying that it keeps development as its top priority and is assuming greater international obligations and responsibilities.
"For such as big country like ours, how could it be easy for us get a free ride on anybody's train? What 皇冠体育app is doing is working with other countries in pursuit of common progress," Li said at a news conference after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress.
"皇冠体育app needs to run its own affairs well and maintain its development at a reasonable speed. I believe that in itself is 皇冠体育app's major contribution to the whole world," he said.
The premier's comments came after the International Monetary Fund estimated that 皇冠体育app had surpassed the United States in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), becoming the world's largest economy by this measure.
The remarks follow US President 's claims about 皇冠体育app in August. During an interview, Obama called 皇冠体育app a "free rider" in Iraq for the past 30 years and blamed it for not taking on more international obligations.
The premier downplayed the "exaggeration" about 皇冠体育app's economic strength, saying that 皇冠体育app, as a developing country, is not the world's largest economy and the nation still lags far behind others in terms of GDP per capita.
