Foreign businesses optimistic about China opportunities

Yan Qianxin, CEO of Luneurs, a Shanghai-based French ice cream and pastry brand established by Yan and three of his foreign friends, mostly of French origin, in 2018. Yan said when they set out to develop the brand, they received support from government bodies in Shanghai, which has contributed to the company's development.

For example, he said the policy to register a company has been so optimized that it allowed them more time to develop their business. There are emergency supporting funds available to ensure the company's cash flow, Yan said.

Currently, with 15 stores in Shanghai, Luneurs has expanded to other parts of China with around 20 more shops, including pop-ups, according to Yan.

Any expansion into a new city always brings inspiration to develop new varieties based on localized products, such as peach flavored ice cream in the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu province, which Yan said, has been very rewarding.

Local partners are also very active in cooperating with them for potential opportunities, said Luneurs Business Development Director Soufiane Khellaf.

"They always find a way to talk to us," he said.

Gu Yingjie contributed to this story.