China courts global firms with trade and investment talks ahead of 2026 forum
Chinese officials have held a series of high-level meetings with executives from major multinational firms ahead of the China Development Forum 2026. The discussions focused on strengthening trade ties and expanding foreign investment in China, with companies expressing confidence in the country's economic future.
The talks began with He Li, a senior member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meeting representatives from HSBC, UBS, Louis Dreyfus Company, Siemens Healthineers, and other global firms. He Li reassured them that China would offer broader market access and opportunities during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30).
Commerce Minister Wang Wentao also held separate meetings with key business leaders. He discussed trade relations with Apple CEO Tim Cook, covering the company's ongoing operations in China. Another meeting took place with Eli Lilly and Company CEO David A. Ricks, where they explored China-US economic cooperation and the pharmaceutical firm's local business. Meanwhile, Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji met with Al-Futtaim Group CEO Omar Al Futtaim to discuss potential partnerships. The meetings followed recent announcements from foreign companies like Corning and Henkel, which have either expanded or launched new investments in China since the 15th Five-Year Plan was unveiled in mid-March.
The discussions signal a continued push by China to deepen economic engagement with foreign businesses. With multinational firms reaffirming their commitment, the country aims to maintain steady growth while expanding its high-level openness under the new five-year strategy.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
