China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng assured foreign business leaders that Beijing will continue to open up its market and welcome more investment from multinational companies, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce.
Top global CEOs including Tim Cook of Apple, Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm, and Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca attended the China Development Forum in Beijing. The forum aimed to deepen economic and trade partnerships between the US and China.
China’s economy is facing challenges such as sluggish domestic consumption and a prolonged real estate slump. To attract foreign investment, Beijing has been seeking to improve its business environment and remove restrictions on foreign investment in certain sectors.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of countries opening their markets in the face of growing economic fragmentation. The country’s State Council recently unveiled an action plan aimed at attracting foreign investment, including steps to simplify merger and acquisition processes.
US President Donald Trump imposed 20% tariffs on Chinese goods over concerns about illicit fentanyl trade. However, US Senator Steve Daines met with Premier Li and expressed the hope for further high-level talks between the two countries to resolve their differences.
Foreign executives from firms like Airbus, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Honeywell have also met with Chinese commerce ministry officials in recent weeks to discuss investment opportunities.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/beijing-pledges-greater-market-access-as-top-global-ceos-gather-at-the-china-development-forum-.html