Mr. Tap met with leaders of more than 40 of the world's leading multinational corporations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and international business leaders at the Great Hall of the People - Photo: XINHUA

According to Xinhua News Agency on March 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with more than 40 senior leaders of multinational corporations, including Samsung, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Qualcomm, Blackstone, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Maersk, Saudi Aramco, FedEx and many other businesses on the same morning.

Also attending the meeting were senior Chinese officials such as Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, Vice Premier He Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

According to Reuters news agency on March 28, the meeting took place in the context of China's efforts to attract foreign investment to promote economic recovery and minimize the impact of geopolitical instability.

Policy Commitment

Speaking at the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the presence of international businesses and acknowledged the contribution of the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector to China's economic and industrial development.

Accordingly, Mr. Tap sent his thanks to FDI enterprises that have accompanied the country's development, emphasizing that the foreign business sector has supported job creation, improved technological and management capacity, and played a role in China's international integration process.

Mr. Xi also affirmed that the open-door policy is China's basic principle and said that the country will continue to expand market access in a transparent manner, based on international laws and standards.

According to the full text of the report on Xinhua, China is committed to ensuring fair access for foreign enterprises, reducing barriers to market entry, ensuring equal treatment between FDI enterprises and domestic enterprises, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors.

Mr. Xi also mentioned factors considered to be China's advantages, including its large market size, expanding consumer class, and orientation of industrial development towards digital, green, and smart transformation.

The Chinese leader affirmed that the country will continue to improve the investment environment and step up institutional reforms related to foreign investment.

“China in the past, present and future will definitely be an ideal, safe and potential destination for foreign investors,” Mr. Tap said at the conference.

According to Mr. Tap, the foreign business sector, especially multinational corporations, need to play a proactive role in responding to emerging economic challenges on a global scale.

On the business side, many international corporate leaders attending the conference such as Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius, Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, FedEx Chairman Raj Subramaniam and HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery gave speeches and acknowledged China's efforts in reform and opening up.

According to Xinhua, businesses expressed their desire to continue investing and expanding operations in China, while strengthening cooperation in strategic areas such as technology, logistics and healthcare.

Mr. Tap took a photo with representatives of more than 40 international businesses - Photo: XINHUA

Reassurance in a sensitive time

The meeting took place right after the China Development Forum (CDF) 2025 opened on March 23, one of the country's important annual economic events.

At the CDF event, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stressed China’s commitment to attracting more foreign investment. Li said the government would continue to expand market access in sectors such as finance, digital technology, telecommunications, healthcare and education.

According to Reuters, Mr. Xi's direct contact with the business community, instead of letting Premier Li Qiang take charge as previously, shows the Chinese President's increasingly direct role in efforts to reassure foreign and domestic investors.

The meeting comes as China faces challenges in maintaining foreign direct investment flows, with 2024 figures showing a 27.1% year-on-year decline, the biggest decline since the 2008 global financial crisis.

Some businesses still express concerns about the unstable legal environment, sudden implementation of regulations, and the disparity in treatment between Chinese state-owned enterprises and the foreign sector.

Xi Jinping's direct meetings and dialogues with international corporations are seen as an effort to strengthen the trust of the foreign business community and promote economic cooperation during a period of great turmoil.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ong-tap-gap-lanh-dao-cua-hon-40-tap-doan-da-quoc-gia-hang-dau-the-gioi-20250328154813834.htm