| China will further expand market access and increase imports, its premier told a trade fair in Shanghai on Sunday, amid criticism from European firms who said they wanted to see more tangible improvement in the country’s business environment.
China will promote coordinated development of trade in goods and services, protect an international business environment, and relax market access including lifting restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing, he said. The promise to boost imports from other nations comes despite the slowdown in the Chinese economy, which has hurt demand for goods from around the world. Earlier this month, China reported that imports decreased 6.2 per cent in September, down for the seventh month in a row.