Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (R) shakes hands with US Senator Steve Daines before a meeting held in the Xinjiang Room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 22, 2025.
Ng Han Guan | Afp | Getty Images
China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng has reassured foreign business leaders that Beijing will continue to open up its market and welcome more investment from multinational companies, according to a readout from the Ministry of Commerce.
He also discussed deepening economic and trade partnerships between U.S. and China at the meeting Sunday with top executives from Apple, Pfizer, Mastercard, Eli Lilly and other multinational companies, the statement said.
“China remains committed to expanding high-level opening-up of market, improving the business environment and welcoming more multinational companies to deepen their investment in China,” Li said, adding that China’s economy is “resilient, full of potential and vitality.”
Foreign CEOs including Tim Cook of Apple, Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm, Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca as well as visiting U.S. Republican Senator Steve Daines are in Beijing to attend the China Development Forum that kicked off Sunday.
Beijing has been seeking to attract foreign investment as its economy grapples with sluggish domestic consumption and a prolonged real estate slump. U.S. tariffs have threatened to slow down its export, a rare bright spot in the faltering economy.
At the opening of the two-day business forum, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said countries should open their markets in the face of growing economic fragmentation and urged entrepreneurs to be “staunch defenders and promoters of globalization.”
China’s State Council unveiled last month an action plan aimed at attracting foreign investment, which outlined steps including removing some restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector and improving the process for foreign funds to carry out mergers and acquisitions in the mainland.