China Development Forum 2025 opens in Beijing with record int'l participation

This year's two-day China Development Forum kicked off at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sunday, attracting over 100 foreign guests to delve into topics that include macroeconomic policy, reforms and boosting consumption.

The number of multinational companies attending the forum for the first time reached a new high.

Themed "Unleashing Development Momentum for Stable Growth of Global Economy", the forum features 12 symposiums and several closed-door sessions.

The participants will explore key issues including the development of new quality productive forces, AI innovations, green development, and new trends in economic globalization.

Addressing the forum, Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said China welcomes foreign investors to share the dividends of China's development.

"In recent years, we have turned pressure into motivation, achieving positive progress in promoting technological self-reliance and advancement. We will continue to focus on technology-driven and innovation-driven development, and take measures tailed to local conditions to develop new quality productive forces. We are committed to actively advancing emerging industries, fostering future industries, and using digital, green, and AI technologies to transform and upgrade traditional sectors. Recently, we've seen many international investors showing confidence in China's economy and assets. We sincerely welcome international capital to return to China, boost investments, and share the dividends of China's development," said Han.

The forum has gathered 86 official delegates of multinational companies from 21 countries.

The China Development Forum, sponsored by the Development Research Center of the State Council and organized by the China Development Research Foundation, has become a key platform for dialog and cooperation between China and the rest of the world since its inception in 2000.

China Development Forum 2025 opens in Beijing with record int'l participation

China Development Forum 2025 opens in Beijing with record int'l participation

China Development Forum 2025 opens in Beijing with record int'l participation

China Development Forum 2025 opens in Beijing with record int'l participation

The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it is pausing immigrant visa processing from 75 countries.

The measure will apply to "countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people," the department said on X.

The pause impacts countries including Somalia, Haiti, Iran and Eritrea, "whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival," said the State Department.

Earlier on Wednesday, the department announced in a memo that it would suspend visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen, according to a Fox News report.

The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing, the report said. The move came after the White House announced on Tuesday that it is ending temporary protected status for Somali immigrants amid fraud allegations in Minnesota.

On Monday, the State Department announced on social media that it had revoked over 100,000 visas since U.S. President Donald Trump took office nearly a year ago.

In November 2025, Trump announced his intention to permanently suspend immigration from what he described as "Third World countries", following the death of a National Guard member after being shot near the White House by an Afghan national.

U.S. freezes immigrant visa processing from 75 countries