Foreign companies welcome, FM says

Beijing reiterated on Wednesday that it welcomes foreign companies, including those from the United States, to invest and operate in China, and is willing to share development opportunities with them to achieve mutual benefits.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remark after a business group said that the operations of US companies in China and access to the Chinese market might be disrupted by recent trade frictions.

The Associated Press quoted an official from the US-China Business Council on Tuesday as saying Cabinet-level Chinese officials told representatives of the council that they are putting off accepting license applications from US companies in financial services and other industries "until the trajectory of the relationship improves and stabilizes".