GPS News
TRADE WARS
China's Xi warns foreign executives of 'severe' trade headwinds
China's Xi warns foreign executives of 'severe' trade headwinds
By Isabel Kua and Peter Catterall
Beijing (AFP) Mar 28, 2025

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday warned of "severe challenges" to global trade, vowing to open the country's door "wider and wider" to foreign firms as Beijing faces down a mounting trade war with the United States.

Meeting executives including hedge fund boss Ray Dalio and Samsung Electronics chief Lee Jae-yong in Beijing's ornate Great Hall of the People, Xi warned that "unilateralism and protectionism" were on the rise.

"Multilateralism is the inevitable choice for addressing the difficulties and challenges facing the world, and economic globalisation is an unstoppable historical trend," Xi said.

His comments were a veiled criticism of Trump's recently imposed tariffs, which are dampening the prospects this year for Chinese exports after they soared to record highs last year.

Beijing has sought to woo foreign businesses as those global trade headwinds threaten its already-shaky economic growth.

It has also positioned itself as a staunch defender of the multilateral trading system as the mercurial resident of the White House rocks the international order.

During Friday's meeting, Xi called for upholding World Trade Organisation rules, while promising China would continue to "advance trade and investment liberalisation".

"All parties should work together to uphold the global economic order," he said.

He vowed that "foreign enterprises in China can develop their advantages and capabilities and gain an advantage in global competition".

Exports have historically represented a key driver of growth in the manufacturing powerhouse, though increasing trade and geopolitical tensions are threatening that.

Foreign enterprises in China have long complained of an unfair business environment, with IP theft, a lack of regulatory transparency and an uneven playing field with local firms among the laundry list of issues.

A sweeping counterespionage law imposed in 2023 has also done little to improve sentiment.

This week, US due diligence firm Mintz Group said that China had released five local employees detained more than two years ago during a crackdown on foreign consultancies with multinational links.

Beijing later said the company was under investigation for suspected "illegal operations", but did not provide details.

Other US firms targeted in the 2023 crackdown included Bain & Company and Capvision.

bur-pfc/oho/jfx

Samsung Electronics

Related Links
Global Trade News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TRADE WARS
Seoul announces rare top trade meeting with Tokyo, Beijing
Seoul (AFP) Mar 28, 2025
Top trade officials from South Korea, Japan and China will meet this weekend in Seoul to discuss economic cooperation, a South Korean government source said Friday. The announcement of the rare meeting - the first in five years - comes days after US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on all cars and light trucks not built on US soil. Seoul and Tokyo are major auto exporters, and China has also been hit hard by US tariff measures. A South Korean government ... read more

TRADE WARS
Mapping the Earth's crops

Brought to eel: France busts elver-smuggling ring

Parisians back 'garden roads' scheme in record low turnout

Canada files WTO trade action against Chinese agriculture, fishery duties

TRADE WARS
Japan to pour additional $5.4 bn into chipmaker Rapidus

Taiwan probes China's SMIC over 'illegal' talent poaching

China chip insiders eye stronger global ties despite trade tensions

SoftBank to acquire US semiconductor firm Ampere for $6.5 billion

TRADE WARS
PACIFIC project targets cleaner skies through fuel innovation

Taiwan defence official in US for fighter jet unveiling

India signs $7.3 bn deal for 156 homemade helicopters

France's Dassault says upping Rafale warplane output

TRADE WARS
Chinese EV giant BYD surpasses rival Tesla with record 2024 revenue

EU tariffs not a deterrent, says Chinese EV maker XPeng

Chinese electric car maker BYD aims for Europe boost

Xiaomi posts 2024 revenue surge as EV push deepens

TRADE WARS
China, South Korea and Japan agree to strengthen free trade

Tariff-hit British Steel confirms plan to shut blast furnaces

Japan's Nikkei leads big losses in Asian markets as gold hits record

Chinese regulator to vet Panama ports deal: Hong Kong media

TRADE WARS
Make progress on deforestation pledge, nations urged before COP30

Satellite study tracks three decades of forest growth in southern Spain

Giant mine machine swallowing up Senegal's fertile coast

NASA Researchers Study Coastal Wetlands, Champions of Carbon Capture

TRADE WARS
Pixxel satellites deliver groundbreaking hyperspectral imaging milestone

Biomass satellite to lift off aboard Vega C in late April

Advancing satellite methods for mapping coastal seabeds

Spire debuts AI weather forecasting models built with NVIDIA Omniverse Earth2 tech

TRADE WARS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.