Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China will continue to deepen reform and opening up more sectors in China’s economy to foreign investment while meeting with CEOs of 19 multinational companies that represent the Global CEO Council in Beijing on Thursday.
Li said the country will effectively protect companies' legitimate rights including intellectual property rights while continuing to build a market-oriented, legalized, and international business environment.
Among the industry leaders attending the meeting were French multinational Schneider Electric, conglomerate Swire Group, drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and Volkswagen AG.
Li said that many of the attending CEOs represent multinational companies which have participated in China's reform and opening-up. Li said the companies not only brought capital, technology and management experience to China, but also opened up the country's vast markets, from which they profited.
Amid global uncertainties, Li said global trade should move to a stable growth path. And the global industrial supply chain should be improved.
Li said China welcomes more foreign investment into the country's mass market. China has fully opened up its manufacturing sector to foreign investment, and will also gradually open up its service sector.
According to the State Council news release, the participating CEOs said that they are committed to strengthening cooperation with China and are willing to actively participate in the development of sectors such as healthcare, finance, auto, digital economy and 5G. They also stated that they are willing to promote global connectivity, jointly safeguard free trade, and oppose protectionism.
