Recently, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council explicitly stated in the government work report that China will "keep working to foster a first-rate business environment" and "continue to expand high-standard opening up". Executives from a range of multinationals with deep roots in China said in interviews that China's continuous efforts to improve the business environment and its firm commitment to advancing high-standard opening up have injected strong momentum into their long-term growth in the country.

File photo: CFP

"The key to bolstering foreign investment confidence lies in translating macro policies into specific, predictable, and executable measures," said He Xiaoqing, president of Kearney Greater China, a global consulting firm. She pointed out that providing clear compliance guidelines, reasonable transition periods, and cross-departmental coordination can transform fragmented regulatory oversight into coordinated services, thereby reducing companies' compliance costs. She emphasized that the predictability fostered by transparent rules and consistent enforcement serves as a crucial anchor for global capital to take root in China.

According to the 2025 Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, China has ranked among the top ten for four consecutive years and has led the emerging markets for three consecutive years, demonstrating the strong resilience and stability of China's appeal to foreign investors.

Ding Hongyu, president of 3M China, stated that the continuous refinement of the policy environment not only demonstrates China's commitment to opening up, but also strengthens the confidence of foreign enterprises in their long-term development in the country.

He pointed out that China is accelerating improvements to intellectual property protection rules, and an open and fair business environment has strengthened enterprises' confidence in the market. The 3M China R&D Center in Shanghai is one of the company's four global R&D centers. In 2026, it plans to step up local product development and new product launches, targeting growth of over 30 percent, far exceeding that in other global markets.

Joe Bao, president of KONE Greater China, shared the company's project to replace aging elevators in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. With residents having the autonomy to select their preferred brands, KONE ultimately won the bid for 2,106 elevators, accounting for 96 percent of the total tender, and completed the renovation safely with zero accidents in just eight months.

"This fully demonstrates that in China, foreign enterprises enjoy a level playing field and earn market trust based on their own strengths," said Joe Bao.

The government work report outlines plans to "expand market access, with a focus on the service sector" and "ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises", sending a signal of further expanding opening up.

Ding Hongyu said that from top-level design to implementation mechanisms, China is comprehensively strengthening the leading role of enterprises in innovation and building an innovation ecosystem that deeply integrates industry, academia, research, and application. "Such policy support helps us further integrate into China's innovation system and leverage our technologies to promote the transformation and upgrading of industrial chains."

KONE is setting its sights on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Joe Bao said that the company established its southern headquarters in Qianhai, Shenzhen last year, which will commence operations by the end of March this year, focusing on maintenance and upgrade. China's regional coordinated development strategy will foster a more robust industrial ecosystem and more efficient resource allocation. KONE will further localize its supply chain and deeply participate in the smart city development in the Greater Bay Area.

Stephen Fung, China President of Fung Group, said that China's plan for foreign trade during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and the Belt and Road cooperation demonstrate the country's firm commitment to advancing high-standard opening up. Fung Group has prioritized supporting Chinese enterprises in their global expansion, leveraging its global supply chain network to help them steadily integrate into global industrial chains.