China's top economic planner held a rountable meeting with representatives of U.S. multinational enterprises on promoting the opening-up in the western region on Tuesday.
During the meeting in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) briefed the representatives on China's macroeconomic situation and policies to expand market access and step up efforts to promote foreign investment.
More than 100 representatives from about 60 Chinese and foreign enterprises and organizations attended the meeting.
"At present, we have lifted the ceiling on the ratio of foreign shareholding in the financial sector, and we will remove the off-limits for foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, and will further expand pilot opening-up in telecommunications, medical care and other sectors. Next, we will strengthen coordination with local governments to accelerate the expansion of opening-up in the western region," said Zheng Bei, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
"Every year NDRC invites companies and the chamber of commerce to go to a couple different locations. This year they chose Chongqing. It was a good opportunity for us to come here and see what's happened, since many of us haven't visited in a long time. So yesterday we had a number of presentations about what's going on and the same thing this morning in even more detail and just give us a good chance to look at what sort of investment opportunities exist," said Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce.
China's NDRC, US multinational enterprises hold roundtable meeting on western region investment
A Chinese envoy stressed the need for global cooperation to promote international nuclear arms control efforts amid unprecedented and formidable challenges faced by the international nuclear disarmament process, while addressing a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on nuclear weapons on Monday.
During the thematic debate on nuclear weapons at the 79th session of the UNGA, Shen Jian, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, stated that the international nuclear disarmament process is encountering unparalleled challenges stemming from the lack of strategic mutual trust among major powers, escalating geopolitical tensions, and prolonged regional conflicts.
Therefore, there is a need for all countries to jointly work towards reducing nuclear risks, advancing nuclear disarmament, and preventing nuclear proliferation, Shen noted.
According to the Chinese envoy, it is necessary to deescalate regional tensions and end hostilities promptly, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, cease the provocative deployment of strategic forces to the forefront, adhere to a practical and feasible path of nuclear disarmament, maintain an objective and rational stance on nuclear transparency issues, and promote international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
"Both the symptoms and root causes of the prominent risks and challenges in the nuclear field should be addressed. Being obsessed with the Cold War mentality, hyping up major power competition, and inciting bloc confrontation will only lead the international nuclear arms control process into a dead end. The international community should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, adhere to true multilateralism, respect each other's legitimate security concerns, and work together to promote the international nuclear arms control process," Shen said.
As the current coordinator of the cooperation mechanism of the five nuclear-weapon states, China hosted an expert-level meeting in New York on October 7 to start substantive work during its tenure. China will also continue its efforts to enhance dialogue and cooperation among the five nuclear-weapon states, Shen said.
China calls for global efforts to promote int'l nuclear arms control process
