China's Ministry of Commerce holds a roundtable session for foreign enterprises in Shanghai during the eighth China International Import Expo on November 5, 2025. Photo: Wesbite of Ministry of Commerce

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a roundtable session for foreign enterprises in Shanghai during the eighth China International Import Expo, with government agencies including Research Office of the State Council, State Taxation Administration, and National Immigration Administration provided policy briefings and address concerns raised by foreign enterprises, according to a statement on the MOFOM website on Thursday.

The meeting showcased China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening-up outlined in the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, explained the country's recent policies to stabilize foreign investment, featured in-depth discussions on China's economic development, business environment, and global economic challenges, it said.

The recommendations inject greater certainty into China's development path, while the commitment to pursue high-quality development and promote high-standard opening-up will enhance certainty for foreign enterprises to deepen the Chinese market while bringing positive expectations, Ling Ji, a vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, said on Wednesday.

Amid the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, a fair, just and law-based market remains a scarce global resource, Ling stressed.

China will steadfastly advance high-level opening-up by proactively aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, further expanding market access in the service sectors, advancing key foreign investment projects, ensuring foreign enterprises' equal participation in government procurement, implementing tax credit policies for reinvestment, strengthening intellectual property protection and continuously fostering a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, Ling said.

He said it is hoped that foreign enterprises will seize new opportunities arising from China's development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), and join hands with China in the process of Chinese modernization.

Foreign participants recognized the promising outlook for China's future development and broad investment opportunities, expressing intentions to expand long-term investments, enhance research and development innovation, and deepen localization. They pledged to leverage advanced technologies and high-quality products to contribute to China's high-quality development, according to the statement.

Representatives of over 30 foreign enterprises and foreign chambers and associations attended the meeting, including Alfa Laval, Arcelor Mittal, Merck and Intel, according to the statement.

Global Times