Xi Jinping has told US business leaders that China’s economy will become more open, signalling greater market access for foreign companies. The Chinese leader was speaking during a meeting with the chief executives of some of the world’s biggest companies who were accompanying Donald Trump on a visit to Beijing.
“American enterprises are deeply involved in China’s reform and opening up, a process from which both sides have benefited,” Xi said. “China’s door to the outside world will only open wider.”
Trump introduced Xi individually to each of the business leaders, who included Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. The entire business delegation represented companies with a combined stock market valuation of about $20 trillion (€17 trillion).
Xi and Trump discussed their economic relationship alongside geopolitical issues including Iran and Taiwan during a meeting lasting more than two hours at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square. The White House account of the meeting said that Trump highlighted the need to increase Chinese purchases of US agricultural products.
“The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic co-operation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries,” it said.
