Amid speculation that changes to China’s so-called anti-espionage law will discourage foreign investment, Chinese economic ministry officials have been meeting with U.S. and Japanese companies to encourage investment.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with Japanese companies including Mizuho Bank, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Toyota yesterday (Nov. 17) to hear about their business conditions and suggestions.
“At present, China is promoting Chinese-style modernization and building a new development pattern,” Wang said at the meeting, adding that the country’s population of more than 1.4 billion people will provide many cooperation opportunities for companies around the world, including Japanese companies.
“The Ministry of Commerce will actively engage with foreign companies to listen to their opinions and suggestions, address their concerns, and create a favorable environment and conditions for investment in China.”
Zhang Yunming, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, also met with representatives of U.S. companies yesterday, 카지노사이트넷 including Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, and said, “China has a mature industrial system, perfect infrastructure and huge market size, which will provide a wide space for foreign companies to invest and develop their business in China.”
“I hope that the American Chamber of Commerce in China will serve as a bridge and a link, helping member companies to put down roots in China and actively participate in China’s new industrialization development process to achieve win-win results,” Zhang Yunming said.
Earlier, Zhang Guangjun, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, also met with Hart and other members of the American Chamber of Commerce in China on April 14.
“China’s door to science and technology will continue to open wider and wider, and we are ready to deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation with science and technology partners from various countries, including the United States,” Zhang said, adding, “The Chinese government will create a favorable environment for companies from all over the world, including the United States, to invest and do business in China and share in China’s development opportunities.”
The spate of meetings with U.S. companies by senior Chinese officials is likely related to the counterintelligence law that took effect on Jan. 1.
The nine-year-old law criminalizes espionage for “acquiring, purchasing, or providing materials related to national security and interests,” but does not specify what materials are related to “national security.
This has led to speculation that the law will chill investment by foreign companies, leading to a decline in foreign investment.
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns tweeted on February 2 that “U.S. businesses, scholars, and journalists should be aware of China’s worrisome counterintelligence law.”