Global business leaders reaffirm commitment to investing in China for win-win results

Global business leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to investing in China for win-win results as they see vast opportunities arising from China's innovation-driven high-quality growth and development.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of the international business community in Beijing on Friday morning. More than 40 global chairmen and chief executive officers of foreign businesses as well as representatives of business councils attended the meeting.

In an interview with the China Central Television after the meeting, Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, spoke highly of China's support for foreign investment, as well as its stability, predictability, and growth opportunities, which have created a win-win scenario for both multinational companies and China's development.

"We are honored that we had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with President Xi. It is definitely always a privilege. And we heard his insights and views on different aspects, but especially on the support that is extended for foreign direct investment in China and how China is further opening up to facilitate more investment and more growth. It's a win-win for both the multinational companies, as well as the development of China. It fosters stability and predictability. It's an oasis of certainty in a global environment. We need China's stability, certainty and predictability that we are seeing, to help the world to grow the economy and create all of these great opportunities for these multinationals, all of them, with their investment and grow their business. It is the demand that we see in China, the growth, the ecosystem, the innovation, the technologies that is helping all of these investment to come to China," said Nasser.

Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, said that meeting with Xi has firmed up their confidence in the long-term investment in China, and that they feel reassured about China's commitment to continuously improving its business environment.

"Today's meeting has really left a deep impression and is a very rare opportunity. He (President Xi) said, 'investing in China is investing in the future'. And I think that's the way most companies are seeing China right now, that investments now will be something that will grow over many, many years. It's not an investment for one quarter or one year. As we talk to many companies about what are their real challenges in China, and it's things like cross-border data transfer, it's things like IP (intellectual property). So, for global companies to hear the president say, 'we understand your issues, we understand your problems and we are committed to helping resolve them', that's a very reassuring message. I think the companies came here, came here very hopeful," said Stein.

Georges Elhedery, CEO of HSBC, highlighted the bank's 160-year history in China, emphasizing its role as a bridge connecting Chinese companies with foreign businesses.

"I shared our experience in China with a 160-year history in China. I shared also the role we play as a bridge to connect Chinese companies, the fact that China is a priority market for us, that we continue investing in China, and that we see this as a great opportunity especially with the higher-quality growth and development," said Elhedery.

At the meeting, Xi reiterated China's commitment to the fundamental national policy of opening up to the world, while stressing that China is advancing high-standard opening up and taking solid steps to expand institutional in terms of rules, regulations, management, standards and others.

"China's door will only open wider. The policy of welcoming foreign investment has not changed and will not change," said the president.

"What President Xi described today is many opportunities as we look to the future of China. He reiterated his commitment to innovation, to green economy, to reform and opening. We feel very much in sync with the priority of high-quality development, because this is what Schneider Electric supports," said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman of Schneider Electric.

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, chairperson of Louis-Dreyfus Group, praised China's long-term vision, solid growth, and strong policy support, which provide certainty for foreign businesses and people worldwide.

"China has the longest way of thinking of the future. And what also President Xi said, 'the tree to grow needs to have deep roots'. And China has these deep roots, and it gives certainty to all of us foreign businesses and also people around the globe hope that they will find solutions to some challenges. Today, to listen to President Xi was also important for me, for the future, of course. For more than 50 years, we do business in China, we witness the amazing development in China, how the government really improves the lives of people and the environment. It's unique. We feel, of course, this support already since many years and this is why we are growing very strongly in China," said the chairperson.

Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller-Maersk, a Danish multinational shipping and logistics company, highlighted the significance of meeting with President Xi, noting that it conveyed an inspiring message about China's commitment to deepening reforms, expanding opening-up, and ensuring a level playing field for all companies.

"This open dialog has a lot of value and will help us make informed decisions for the future of our many activities here in China. The willingness that there is from President Xi to continue the necessary reform, to continue to propel the Chinese economy towards openness, towards more trade and also more level playing field for companies to play in that market and bring it to the next level, is really something that was inspiring to hear. What we're seeing in China today is the highest of all the large economies. It has been so for quite a while. There is still an enormous potential in the Chinese economy that the current policies seek to unlock, and we look forward to playing whatever role we can play in order to bring that about," said Clerc.

Global business leaders reaffirm commitment to investing in China for win-win results

Global business leaders reaffirm commitment to investing in China for win-win results

Global business leaders reaffirm commitment to investing in China for win-win results

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.

Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.

Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.

From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.

The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.

As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.

On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.

Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.

Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.

The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point