China will "help foreign companies seize the opportunity to deepen their presence in China," Shu Jueting, a commerce ministry spokesperson, told reporters. Shu told reporters that China will also "steadily expand institutional openness."
A day earlier, China restored the issuance of all categories of visas to foreigners in a move that was largely welcomed by foreign business groups in the country.
China's fresh efforts to court foreign investors and businesses also came as global uncertainties, from wars to bank crises, push them to search for new safe havens.
"With a vast and open market, China is sure to provide even greater business opportunities for foreign companies in China," former premier Li Keqiang said in his final government work report at this year's parliamentary meeting earlier this month.
"We should improve services for foreign-funded companies and facilitate the launch of landmark foreign funded projects." Last year, the Chinese economy expanded just 3%, weighed down by restrictive COVID policies, a deep property slump and weak external demand for Chinese goods.
On Tuesday,
Goldman Sachs
raised its forecast for China's gross domestic product
growth this year to 6% from 5.5%.
The commerce ministry's Shu said local governments and
firms report that a drop in orders remains the biggest challenge
for 2023 trade development.
(Reporting by Joe Cash, Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by
Jacqueline Wong and Bernadette Baum)
