Foreign execs bullish on 2023 business climate

Q4 This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's famed reform and opening-up policy. In this context, in which areas do you expect more progress? How is your business likely to benefit?

CHAN: Foreign businesses operating in China have played an indispensable role in supporting China's economic transformation and prosperity since the reform and opening-up. We look forward to China's efforts to further improve the business environment. With the accelerated pace of institutional openness and more open and fair opportunities, the potential of China's market will further increase, which will boost FedEx's contribution to the development of foreign trade and the stability of industrial and supply chains in China.

LIU: In the 45 years since China's reform and opening-up, Carestream Health has been a deep participant and the implementation of our localization and innovation strategies has achieved remarkable results. We also recognize the importance of continuously strengthening and stabilizing the supply and industry chains. To this end, Carestream Health has steadily promoted the upgrading of the localization strategy through product line localization, in-depth innovation and R&D, and local business model upgrading, and improved the high-end manufacturing capacity and local supply chain construction.

YE: China's opening-up has brought tremendous development and sustained vitality to the country in the past 45 years. The Chinese society, consumers, and domestic and foreign companies are all beneficiaries of this policy. Michelin China has grown from a sales office to a business entity with three factories, a regional headquarters, a research and development center and a sales network all over the country. We expect a higher-level opening-up, which includes deepening institutional protection and expanding multiparty cooperation. The government can further improve market access and legal protection, bringing more opportunities to all companies. Meanwhile, more sustainability-related platforms are expected to promote dialogue and cooperation among government, companies and consumers, thus creating a greener future for all.

TAN: We congratulate China on the 45th anniversary of its reform and opening-up. China continuously optimizes the business environment for foreign investment. Skechers has benefited from the policy facilitation measures provided by China in trade, finance, taxation, business and industry for 16 years. The Chinese economy shows resilience and vitality, bringing us stronger support and more stable expectations. China has a complete industrial system and infrastructure protection, with a large market size and cutting-edge technology application scenarios.

We look forward to the subsequent government policy support and encouragement in technology, brand, management, digital transformation and other aspects.

XU: Since Danfoss started operations in China in 1996, our business here has been booming, which could not have happened without support from policymakers on various levels. Standing upon a new threshold of reform and continued opening-up, we would like to see an elevated level of opening-up policies, especially in the area of market access, and have the policies institutionalized, which will not only benefit the businesses of international companies, but also contribute to China's goal of high-quality development.