China welcomes foreign companies to enter Chinese market

Beijing, The Gulf Observer: China welcomes foreign companies, including those from the United States, to enter its market, share development dividends and jointly promote the growth of the global economy, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The remarks were made by the ministry’s spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press briefing in response to media reports that many American enterprises plan to expand their business in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in South China’s latest survey, which shows that over 90 percent of respondent companies consider China one of the most important investment destinations.

Mao said the facts have proved that China is a promising market for foreign investment.

She said the one hand, it is a result of China’s huge market and complete industrial and supply chain networks, and on the other, it is due to China’s effort to firmly advance high-level opening-up, support the multilateral trading system and continuously provide foreign investors with a more market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

She noted that in January, China’s paid-in foreign direct investment (FDI) reached 127.69 billion yuan (nearly $19 billion), growing by 14.5 percent year on year. These numbers signal a good start for foreign investment in China this year.

She said foreign investors, including American companies, have been optimistic about China’s market and plan to increase their investments in China, and data from the U.S. Commerce Department shows that goods trade between the United States and China hit a record $690.6 billion in 2022.

All of these indicate that China-U.S. trade and investment cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win, she said, stressing that decoupling is detrimental, unpopular and unfeasible.

“No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we will not change its resolve to open wider at a high standard,” said Mao. “We will not change our determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world.”