China's reform welcomes foreign participation: premier

DALIAN - China's reform needs the participation of foreign capital, companies and wisdom, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday, pledging easier access to the Chinese market and a level playing field.

The premier made the remarks when answering a question from Dutch multinational Royal DSM's CEO Feike Sijbesma in a meeting with global business leaders at the ongoing Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017, or Summer Davos, in Dalian.

"China's reform has always paralleled with the opening up...We welcome foreign firms to come to China and participate in corporate reorganization and will further lower the threshold of services to foster new growth engines," Li said.

Li also promised that overseas companies will enjoy the same treatment as that for domestic firms.

"China welcomes Royal DSM to increase investment here," he said.

China remains an attractive destination for foreign investors. Foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland maintained steady growth of 4.1 percent year on year in 2016 with strong investment in the service sector.