SwedCham China Insights for the Week of Jun 12 - June 16 , 2023

Top news of the week:

Xi emphasizes common development in talks with Honduras’ Castro

June 12, 2023

China stands ready to forge a good friendship and partnership with Honduras featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development, President Xi Jinping said in talks with visiting Honduran President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to People’s Republic of China. The visit was paid in the backdrop of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and Honduras, while disconnecting formal ties with Taiwan.

Palestinian President Abbas arrives in Beijing for state visit

June 13, 2023

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beijing on June 13 for a state visit from June 13 to 16.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken to visit China from June 18 to 19

June 14, 2023

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China from June 18 to 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit Germany, France from June 18 to 23

June 15, 2023

At the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the French government, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Germany and France from June 18 to 23 for official visits, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced. Premier Li will also hold the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation during his visit to Germany and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in France.

NDRC to hasten the formulation of policies for restoring and expanding consumption

June 16, 2023.

Policy documents on restoring and expanding consumption will be formulated and introduced as soon as possible to improve the consumption environment and unleash the potential of service consumption, according to the spokesperson of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The NDRC will speed up the implementation of key projects and the building of a modernized business system backed by real economy. It will promote the reform in key areas steadily to attract foreign investment, improve employment, and safeguard the supply of important agricultural products.

Insight of the week:

President Xi Jinping met Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing on June 16. Xi praised what Gates and his foundation have done for public welfare and emphasized that China would like to cooperate with other countries to meet global challenges. According to Gates, Gates Foundation would deepen cooperation with China in multiple fields and spread successful experience to developing countries. This meeting marks Xi’s first meeting with a foreign private entrepreneur and business leader in recent years, after he stopped traveling abroad for nearly three years. Gates is the latest business figure to visit China this year, following Apple’s Tim Cook and Tesla’s Elon Musk.

Gates arrived in China on June 15 for meetings with global health and development partners who have worked with his charitable foundation. The visit is Gates’ first to the country in four years. He unveiled USD50 million funding over the next five years to support Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) established by his foundation. Beijing’s municipal government would match the USD 50 million investment. Mayor of Beijing Yin Yong also met with Gates this afternoon. During the meeting, Yin said that they are willing to deepen cooperation with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the setup of R&D platform and training of talents.