A view of the skyline of Beijing's CBD area. Photo: VCG

Multiple Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the National Financial Regulatory Administration, have recently held a series of high-level meetings, roundtables, and one-on-one talks with global companies. Experts say these interactions send a clear message that China remains committed to wider opening-up, a better business environment, and inviting foreign investors to share its growth opportunities.

This commitment is already translating into action. As one of the latest examples, container shipping giant Maersk celebrated the grand opening of its flagship logistics center in Shanghai's Lingang new area on Thursday. The center has investment of over $140 million, marking one of the company's largest warehousing investments globally, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Friday.

"Our new state-of-the-art logistics center in Lingang is another milestone in the implementation of Maersk's integrated logistics strategy in the Chinese market. China is not only the world's largest exporter but also a key consumer market," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk.

"This facility significantly enhances our omnichannel fulfillment capabilities and further strengthens the connection between China and international markets," Clerc added.

On Friday, Sam's Club, a membership-only warehouse retailer owned by US giant Walmart, opened its biggest Beijing store yet in Changping district, according to an announcement by the Changping government.

These moves followed a series of targeted dialogues covering finance, manufacturing, tech innovation, biotech, and retail. Senior officials have directly addressed foreign firms' top concerns, including market access, intellectual property (IP) protection, policy stability, and equal treatment, according to media reports.

For example, MOFCOM in mid-November met with US-based KKR Investment Group, consulting company Cohen Group and biotechnology company Illumina to discuss investment opportunities.  

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), reassured pharmaceutical company Roche on stronger IP enforcement at a meeting with corporate representatives in late October.

"These frequent engagements sent a strong and positive signal: China remains firmly committed to wider opening-up, continuously improving the business environment, and warmly welcoming foreign enterprises to share in its growth opportunities," Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday.

China will continue to provide global investors with a more open and fair environment for investment and trade, making a meaningful contribution to cooperation in today's global investment and trade landscape, said Li.

During the 8th China International Import Expo held in Shanghai earlier this month, MOFCOM hosted retail-focused roundtables and briefed foreign executives on the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which promises even broader, high-standard opening-up measures.

"We should draw momentum from opening-up to propel reform and development, and share opportunities with the rest of the world and promote common development," read the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Services will be the next big focus of opening-up in China, with expanded pilot programs in value-added telecommunications, biotech, and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, along with selective opening in education and cultural areas. At the same time, China is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces - such as AI, biotech, new energy, and other cutting-edge sectors - turning its huge market into a global testing ground, application hub, and profit center for innovation, according to the Economic Information Daily under the Xinhua News Agency.

Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that these actions are a powerful continuation of China's long-standing opening-up policy, which turns promises into tangible improvements.

Numbers back this up. According to data released by MOFCOM on Friday, from January to October, China registered 53,782 newly established foreign-invested enterprises, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent. 

During the period, the actual utilized foreign direct investment (FDI) reached 621.93 billion yuan ($87.5 billion), with 445.82 billion yuan going toward the services sector. High-tech industries performed strongly, absorbing 192.52 billion yuan in FDI, with particularly impressive growth of 173.1 percent year-on-year in FDI for e-commerce services. 

"Despite global uncertainties, foreign companies' determination to deepen their presence in China remains rock-solid," said Wang Guannan, a spokesperson for the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, during a regular press conference recently. "Our super-large market, complete industrial chains, rich innovation resources, and improving business environment offer fertile ground for global investors to thrive."