DALIAN -- Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for jointly safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, so as to maintain the open, inclusive world economic system.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in the city of Dalian, Liaoning province, during the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2019, also known as the Summer Davos Forum.

Cooperation between China and the WEF started almost at the same time as China's reform and opening-up. The two sides' fruitful and effective cooperation has not only boosted China's reform and opening-up endeavor but also provided an important platform for discussing world economic governance, Li said.

China stands ready to strengthen its partnership with the WEF and expand cooperation on various platforms, Premier Li noted.

Li also called for grasping the opportunity of the new round of industrial revolution and keeping improving the Summer Davos Forum to explore new frontiers for new champions of the world.

For his part, Schwab hailed the sound cooperation between China and the WEF and thanked China for its strong support.

The WEF is committed to achieving the goal of sustainable development and attaches great importance to cooperation with China, Schwab said, pledging to jointly advance bilateral cooperation to better serve China's development.