Vice premier encourages foreign firms to participate in China's high-quality development

Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday encouraged foreign-funded enterprises to participate in China's high-quality development and seek more business opportunities in the cause of Chinese modernization.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of the 24th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), in the city of Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

The vice premier said that, as an important platform to promote open cooperation through two-way investment, CIFIT has become more internationalized and specialized, adding that the development of CIFIT is a vivid portrayal of China's continuous efforts to open wider to the outside world.

He said that to open up new vistas in Chinese modernization, China will stick to the fundamental national policy of opening up to the outside world, enhance its ability of opening up while expanding international cooperation, and build a new system of open economy at a higher level.

He noted that China is promoting high-quality development, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, further implementing the strategy of innovation-driven development, supporting innovation in an all-round way, and advancing high-level opening-up, adding that these efforts will help create a broader market space and a better business environment for foreign enterprises.

He expressed the hope that the foreign-funded enterprises will be good practitioners of participating in China's high-quality development, promoters of deepening friendly cooperation between China and other countries, and facilitators of true stories about China's reform and opening-up to the world, so as to seek more business opportunities and achieve better development in the cause of Chinese modernization.

On Saturday, He met with foreign dignitaries and representatives of multinational corporations and business associations who attended the conference.

Vice premier encourages foreign firms to participate in China's high-quality development

Beijing's consumer gold market has been running hot during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, despite recent rises in the gold price on international markets.

Last week, the main contract for gold futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (COMEX) has risen to over 2,600 U.S. dollars per ounce.

At a gold shop in Beijing's Xicheng District, the price of pure gold jewelry went up to about 737 yuan (about 104 U.S. dollars) per gram, but many shoppers are still looking to buy gold jewelry especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and the end-of-summer wedding season.

"It is now more than 700 yuan (about 98.7 U.S. dollars) per gram, but when we were here about two months ago, it was only just above 600 yuan (about 84.6 U.S. dollars) per gram," said a customer.

"I'm getting married, so I came to have a look. Even if the price goes up, we still have to buy it," said another customer.

"I had nothing to do during the holidays, so I came here to take a look [at the gold jewelry]. I just bought a lucky charm bead and now I want to take a look at the bracelet," said another customer.

At the shop's gold investment counter, many consumers have been making inquiries about gold bars, which has long been considered a safe investment, although experts recommend caution in the rising gold market.

At the shop's gold investment counter, many consumers have been inquiring about gold bars, which have long been considered a safe investment. However, experts recommend caution in the rising gold market.

"Many investors will buy gold bars for medium- to long-term investment based on their expected price as part of their overall family asset allocation. We suggest that investors be more rational in their decisions," said Li Yang, a senior gold investment analyst.

Beijing consumer gold market remains hot despite rising prices