Global entrepreneurs upbeat about China's market

International entrepreneurs attending the 2024 Annual Conference of the Financial Street Forum in Beijing, China’s capital, have expressed confidence in the world's second-largest economy.

Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Ports (DP) World's Parks and Zones, Abdulla Al Hashmi, stated in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the company, which has long invested in China, is looking to further expand its business in the Chinese market.

"We are not a stranger to China. We have been investing in China for many, many years. As a matter of fact, we already have our investments in ports. Over the past 10 years we have been aggressively expanding our footprint in the supply chain and logistics. The DP World's mission is to provide our customer a solution from the factory floor to the customer door, and there are a lot of factories in China, and we want to provide a green and sustainable supply chain solution to the world," he said.

In another interview, Stefanus Ade Hadiwidjaja, chief investment officer of Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, the Indonesia Investment Authority, expressed optimism about the cooperation between China, Indonesia, and the broader Southeast Asian region.

"I'm also very excited that the collaboration between the two countries, between China and Indonesia, China and the whole region of Southeast Asia will become stronger and stronger, because each of us, we need each other, right? There is a massive opportunity in China, massive opportunity in Southeast Asia, in Indonesia. We need to learn a lot in many areas from China, in terms of technology, in terms of AI, in terms of biotechnology. On the other hand, there is a massive opportunity for Chinese investors to go to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia," he said.

The conference, which runs until Sunday, is co-hosted by the Beijing government, the People's Bank of China, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xinhua News Agency, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Global entrepreneurs upbeat about China's market

Global entrepreneurs upbeat about China's market

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.

"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".

"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.

Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade