In the post meeting joint conference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his concerns that European Foreign Direct Investment into China have hit a low in 2017, at only around EUR 6B. That’s massive difference to Chinese investment in EU at EUR 30B. And Juncker pointed out “this gap reflects a concern amongst our investors on the regulatory and administrative burden that foreign companies sometimes have to face in China.”
Nonetheless, Juncker hailed the “first exchange of offers” on the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. He saw that as “an important step”. That it’s ” only the first one” and “what we need is an Agreement that fulfils our common ambition and gives investors on both sides predictable and long-term access to our respective markets.” Juncker emphasized to China that “actions are more important than words.
