On November 5, during the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Ling Ji chaired a roundtable meeting in Shanghai with representatives from over 30 foreign-invested enterprises and foreign chambers of commerce in China, including companies such as Alfa Laval, ArcelorMittal, Merck, Intel, Air Products, Nissan Motor, and the LEGO Group, as well as the China-Britain Business Council. DG-level officials from the State Council Research Office, State Taxation Administration, and National Immigration Administration also attended to interpret policies and address issues raised by the foreign-invested enterprises.

The meeting introduced the recommendations for advancing high-standard opening up in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, elaborated on recent policies to stabilize foreign investment, and conducted in-depth discussions on China’s economy and business environment, as well as global economic issues.

Ling Ji said that the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, have injected greater certainty into China’s economic and social development in the coming period. In particular, the recommendations regarding continuing to promote high-quality development and expand high-standard opening up will increase certainty for foreign-invested enterprises to deepen their footprint in China and foster positive expectations.

Ling noted that amid rising unilateralism and protectionism, fair, just, and law-based markets have become a scarce global resource and that China will steadfastly advance high-standard opening up. Actions to be taken include proactively aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, further broadening market access in the service sector, facilitating the implementation of major foreign-invested projects, ensuring equal participation of foreign-invested enterprises in government procurement, implementing tax credits for reinvestment, and strengthening intellectual property rights protection, to continuously build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized. He expressed hope that foreign-invested enterprises would seize China’s new development opportunities during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and advance in tandem with Chinese modernization.

Attendees from foreign-invested enterprises said that they can see promising development prospects and broad investment opportunities in China in the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan. They expressed willingness to expand long-term investment, conduct R&D and innovation activities in China, enhance the level of localization, and contribute to China’s high-quality development with advanced technologies and high-quality products and services.