he international business community continues its interest in opportunities in China, as the Asian country is committed to expanding opening-up and fostering a business environment that is market-orientated, law-based and up to international standards.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the disinformation campaign targeting China, international businesses have not lost sight of the soundness of and the long-term growth prospect for the Chinese market, said John Pang, a senior fellow with Bard College in New York.
Last year saw record levels of foreign direct investment into China and the trend has continued this year, Pang told Xinhua in an interview via email on Thursday.
"China is the most important driver for the sustainable, well-governed and inclusive growth of the global economy. No other country has so closely integrated social and environmental agenda with industrial policy to deliver on all three fronts," said Pang, who has worked on policy and strategy in government, business and civil society across East Asia.
Foreign investors bought Chinese government bonds as a global reserve asset through most of the year 2021, Mehran Nakhjavani, a partner of emerging markets with the MRB Partners, told Xinhua at a virtual roundtable meeting.
Executives from Honeywell, McDonald's, Boeing and a number of other U.S. companies recently underscored the importance of the Chinese market and its growth opportunities at their earnings conference calls for the third quarter.
"China remains a critically important market for us and one where we have confidence in the long-term opportunity," said Kevin Ozan, executive vice president and chief financial officer with McDonald's late last month.
