China pushes 'certainty' to investors
The China Development Forum wrapped Monday with senior officials and 100+ global business leaders hearing a pledge to pursue 'high‑quality development,' expand market access and strengthen legal protections for foreign firms. — Beijing framed the message as reassurance amid global macro turbulence, aiming to position China as a stable anchor for manufacturers and investors. (CDF 2026: Delivering certainty amid global uncertainty - CGTN)
The China Development Forum took place March 22–23 at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where Premier Li Qiang delivered the opening keynote to the assembled delegation. (english.www.gov.cn) Li told attendees Beijing will increase targeted imports, said authorities have reduced export tax rebates for hundreds of products, and framed those steps as measures to ease trade frictions with partners worried about China’s surplus. (bloomberg.com) Conference participant lists and media reports show dozens of overseas firms sent senior executives, including representatives from Qualcomm, FedEx, Siemens, BMW, Nestlé, AstraZeneca, Estée Lauder, Citadel and Deutsche Bank. (global.chinadaily.com.cn) The forum occurred less than two weeks after China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan was approved on March 12, 2026, providing the policy backdrop for officials’ outreach to international capital. (english.www.gov.cn) Official data cited alongside the forum show foreign direct investment into China fell 9.5% in 2025 to CNY 747.7 billion, while January 2026 inflows were down 5.7% year‑on‑year to CNY 92.01 billion — figures often referenced by commentators as the rationale for Beijing’s investor reassurances. (money.usnews.com) (tradingeconomics.com) Reuters and other outlets described the forum’s messaging as Beijing positioning itself as a “predictable anchor” for manufacturers and investors amid wider geopolitical and market volatility. (reuters.com)
