President Xi Jinping has issued a rare reply to a foreign commerce chamber, hailing bilateral cooperation amid a push to lure foreign investors onshore and expand China’s circle of friends during a 90-day trade-war truce with the United States.
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In his letter to the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China – the president’s first to a foreign business community in four years – Xi expressed his appreciation for the chamber’s contributions to bilateral relations and their confidence in China’s development.
China would remain an ideal destination for foreign investors, Xi was quoted by the state-run Xinhua as saying on Thursday.
“[We] hope that the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China and its member companies will continue to serve as a bridge between China and Denmark, and between China and Europe – helping to enhance mutual understanding and friendship, and to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between both sides,” he said.
The Chinese leader’s outreach to the foreign business community through letters often serves to convey messages to an external audience, especially in times of geopolitical deadlocks.
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Also on Thursday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen would begin a four-day visit to China on Saturday, adding that Beijing hoped the trip would provide an opportunity to strengthen ties with Denmark and deepen bilateral cooperation.
Xi’s letter was publicised after Beijing and Washington reached a deal on Monday to reduce most tariffs for the next 90 days, from Wednesday, and with both sides now looking to deepen ties with other trading partners.