Staff members walk past a giant poster of the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Xin Mengchen)
BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- As one of the first foreign-funded companies to enter China, Danone is a witness, participant and beneficiary of China's reform and opening up, said Bruno Chevot, president of Danone China, North Asia and Oceania, during the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Through CIIE, many foreign investors take China as an innovation base, and some of them have even become spokespersons for the Chinese market.
-- Hot spot for overseas investment
According to a report released by HSBC on November 6 for the CIIE, 87 percent of overseas enterprises surveyed said they would expand their business presence in China.
Colin Bell, CEO of HSBC Europe, said that CIIE provides a world-class platform for international trade and exchange, allowing global companies to access to China's vast consumer market.
TCP Group, the owner, manufacturer, and distributor of Red Bull, has invested a total of 3.3 billion yuan in China in the past two years, with production bases in Sichuan and Guangxi starting construction in March 2022 and July 2023 respectively.
As a representative of Thailand enterprises in China, TCP Group is full of confidence in the Chinese market, said Saravoot Yoovidhya, CEO of the group, who has participated in the CIIE for 5 consecutive years.
Willie Tan, corporate partner of Skechers China, said that the company plans to complete the construction of the Skechers China Logistics Center by 2025, with a total investment exceeding 3 billion yuan. In addition, the company has also invested to build a live broadcast base in China.
China will reduce the negative list for foreign investment, expand the scale of institutional opening-up, and improve service level and optimize the business environment, making it a hot spot for foreign investment, said Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.
-- Shared market
At the sixth Hongqiao International Economic Forum held on November 6, it is announced that Shanghai Pudong will upgrade the pilot free trade zone and start the construction of a pilot zone for e-commerce cooperation with B&R countries.
Guo Tingting, Vice Minister of Commerce, spoke at the parallel session "Empowering Businesses with Open Innovation" of the sixth Hongqiao International Economic Forum that China will launch more measures to promote the development of enterprises, including promoting the lifting of restrictions on access of foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, and introducing negative lists for cross-border trade in services nationwide and for free trade zones.
The increasingly improved business environment and diversified channels allow foreign-funded enterprises to share the development opportunities of China.
During the sixth CIIE, agricultural products from New Zealand are reaching consumers through Tmall's "Double 11" shopping festival.
Theland's new milk changed from an exhibit to a commodity soon after its debut at the sixth CIIE. Through Taobao and Tmall, it can be delivered to the Chinese consumers from New Zealand ranches within 72 hours.
Li Yan, deputy general manager of Tmall's food and fresh produce department, said that more and more imported food products are selling well in the Chinese market.
(Edited by Yang Linlin with Xinhua Silk Road, linlinyanglyn@163.com)
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