Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of American companies on Wednesday, state media said, as the Chinese government seeks to attract foreign investment and reassure American companies in the face of an economic slowdown.
State broadcaster CCTV reported, “On the morning of March 27, President Xi Jinping met with representatives of the U.S. business community at the Great Hall of the People (in Beijing).''
“Before the talks began, Xi Jinping took a group photo with them,” the report said.
State media did not reveal who attended the meeting, but said representatives from the academic community were also present.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter, that talks were being prepared between Mr. Xi and the heads of U.S. business lobby groups.
The meeting came days after the China Development Forum in Beijing, which was attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives.
“I think China is really opening up. I'm very happy to be here,” the tech giant's CEO told a CGTN reporter, according to a video posted on the state broadcaster's social media accounts.
Chinese authorities have spent months trying to boost economic growth while battling a range of headwinds, including a protracted real estate sector crisis, soaring youth unemployment and a slowing global economy that is hurting demand for Chinese goods. I've been struggling.
Downward revision of growth targets
China's GDP growth has been on the decline for years, with the Chinese government this month pegging it at “about 5%,” significantly lower than the staggering growth rate that powered the country's meteoric rise to prosperity. Annual goals were set.
The vital Sino-American economic relationship has also been hit by flashpoint issues ranging from technology and trade to human rights, as well as clashes between the two countries over the autonomous island of Taiwan and the South China Sea.
U.S. companies in China increasingly complain of an unfair business environment, with limited intellectual property protection and limited preferential treatment given to domestic competitors.
Those concerns were exacerbated last year by a widespread crackdown on U.S. consulting firms operating in China.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned in August that operating in China could be “too risky” for U.S. companies unless the regulatory environment changes.
China has dismissed these concerns, touting its tolerance for foreign investment and pledging to do more to support foreign investment.
Last November, after a summit with President Joe Biden in San Francisco, Mr. ” he promised.
Dateline:
Beijing, China
Article type: News Service
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