[Going towards the “new”] A new wave of foreign company executives coming to China reflects three profound meanings

　　Editor's note:

　　Amid the great changes in the world, China has chosen to move towards "newness", promote high-quality development with new productive forces, and provide the world with new opportunities with high-quality development. With a new beginning in the new era, China News Network launched the "Move towards the 'New'" plan to analyze the new trends and new driving forces of China's economy and society, and witness the magnificent picture of China's modernization construction.

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 27 (China News Business Reporter Li Jinlei) This spring, multinational corporate executives have set off a new wave of "visiting China." With inspections, conference participation, and interviews, the executives' schedule in China is in full swing.

　　Chinese ministers have intensively met with senior executives of foreign companies in China. In just four days from March 21 to March 24, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met intensively with at least 15 senior executives of foreign companies, including Apple CEO Cook. .

  On March 22, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with Apple CEO Cook. From the Ministry of Commerce website

　　Since March last year, foreign company executives have been enthusiastic about coming to China one after another, and this will continue to be the case in the new year. China, full of spring, continues to attract more foreign guests.

　　Ministers spoke out and sent clear policy signals. The statements of senior executives of foreign companies include both their optimism about China and their increased actions in China. Many meanings can be read from a series of intensive interviews.

It can be seen from this that China continues to expand its opening up to the outside world.

　　In meetings with senior executives of foreign companies, Wang Wentao said many times that China is promoting Chinese-style modernization with high-quality development and will unswervingly promote high-level opening up. "China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider."

　　When Zheng Shajie, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, met with Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, on the 24th, he mentioned that in recent years, the Chinese government has continued to increase its efforts to open up to the outside world and launched a series of policy measures to stabilize foreign investment.

  On March 24, Zheng Shajie, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, met with Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco. From the National Development and Reform Commission website

　　It has made it more convenient for foreigners to come to China to work, study, and travel. It has implemented a pilot visa-free policy for six countries including Switzerland, released a national version and a free trade pilot zone version of the cross-border service trade negative list, and issued the "Solidly Promote High-level Opening Up to the Outside World" Action Plan for Attracting and Utilizing Foreign Investment...China has launched new opening-up measures in recent times, releasing multiple benefits to foreign investment.

　　Jin Zhuanglong, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said when meeting with executives of multinational companies that he would further deepen reforms and expand opening up, comprehensively cancel restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, and open value-added telecommunications services such as Internet data centers on a pilot basis. Foreign-funded enterprises are welcome to actively participate. China's new industrialization process will take root in China, invest in China, further improve the level and level of cooperation with China, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

  Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong met with Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm. From Gongxin WeChat News

　　Continuously distribute "reassurance" for expanding opening up, allowing China to win more "votes of confidence." The latest data from the Ministry of Commerce show that in the first two months of this year, 7,160 foreign-invested enterprises were newly established across the country, a year-on-year increase of 34.9%, the highest level in the past five years.

It can be seen from this that China continues to make efforts to optimize its business environment.

　　Wang Wentao told a number of multinational company executives that China continues to create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class business environment to provide good service guarantees for foreign-funded enterprises.

　　The quality of the business environment affects the willingness of foreign capital to invest in a country. In terms of optimizing the business environment, China continues to introduce practical measures in order to attract more global factors to enter the Chinese market.

　　The 2024 Government Work Report requires creating a good environment for fair competition and competitive development for enterprises of all types of ownership. Vice Minister of Commerce Guo Tingting stated at the China Development Forum on the 25th that she will continue to build the "Invest in China" brand to allow more foreign-funded enterprises to invest in China with peace of mind and take root in China's development.

   On March 24, the 2024 annual meeting of the China Development Forum opened in Beijing. Photo by reporter Sheng Jiapeng

It can be seen from this that China’s magnetic attraction remains unabated and “decoupling” is unpopular.

　　When meeting with senior executives of foreign companies, Wang Wentao repeatedly introduced "China Opportunities": China is accelerating the development of new productive forces, and industries such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data are full of business opportunities and vitality.

　　Judging from the statements of senior executives of foreign companies, their visit to China has strengthened their confidence in increasing investment in China.

　　Cook said that Apple will continue to be committed to long-term development in China and continue to increase investment in China's supply chain, R&D and sales. HP President and CEO Enrique Lores said that he is confident in China's economic development prospects and is willing to continue investing in China. Jeff Massa, global chairman and CEO of Medtronic, said that it plans to build a new innovation center in China.

　　Many senior executives of foreign companies have stated that they attach great importance to and will continue to deeply explore the Chinese market, which confirms that China's "magnetic attraction" has not diminished, and also shows that "decoupling and disconnecting" from China is unpopular.

　　Strengthening cooperation is the right choice. Kallinson, chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group, said that it will resolutely expand investment in China. Protectionism is the wrong path. Market opening brings healthy competition and will promote industrial development and growth. Mercedes-Benz is willing to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese automobile industry and play an active role in promoting the reduction of trade barriers and maintaining a fair competitive environment.

　　As Kristalina Georgieva, President of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said, China will continue to be an important contributor to global economic growth. (over)