China seeks foreign investors amid escalating trade relations with the U.S..

China calls for opening markets in the face of American tariff threats

Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged countries to open their markets to counter 'growing instability and uncertainty' at a business forum in Beijing. This concerns new American tariffs that may soon be imposed.

'In today's increasingly fragmented world with growing instability and uncertainty, countries need to open their markets and enterprises... to confront risks and challenges,' Li told dozens of CEOs of foreign companies and Republican Senator Steve Daines.

Representatives from foreign companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, AstraZeneca, and Saudi Aramco attended the forum. They will participate until Monday and are planning to meet with President Xi Jinping remotely.

China is actively attracting foreign investment as it hopes to balance the tariff barriers imposed by the U.S. through stimulating domestic consumption.

'We will focus on combining policy intensification with stimulating market forces... We will implement a more proactive and forward-looking macroeconomic policy and introduce new additional policies if necessary,' Li stated.

Li also urged entrepreneurs to become defenders of globalization and to counter protectionism. However, meetings with American CEOs at the forum were fewer than last year due to tensions between the two countries.

The Trump administration is expected to complete the assessment of China's compliance with the 'first phase' of the trade agreement by April 1. Meanwhile, Chinese politician Han Wenxiu promised to deepen reforms and support science and technology.

In recent meetings, officials from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce met with leaders of foreign companies such as Vale, Airbus, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble. This indicates the country's efforts to attract foreign investment.

However, as official data shows, foreign direct investment in China decreased last year, raising concerns about a potential economic downturn.

The Chinese government is actively planning to stimulate consumer demand and economic development to prevent possible issues due to the trade war with the U.S. this year.