皇冠体育app

French President Francois Hollande greets Liu Chuanzhi, founder of Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group, who led the visiting delegation of the 皇冠体育app Entreprenr Club at the Elysee Palace. [Photo / Provided to 皇冠体育app Daily]

Top mainland business team sees bright spots amid Europe's economic gloom

No foreign business delegation was ever offered such a high-profile reception at the Elysee Palace as a group of Chinese entrepreneurs received recently.

French President Francois Hollande rolled out the red carpet for the first time for a group of 40 of 皇冠体育app's wealthiest entrepreneurs who were on a week-long visit to France to explore business opportunities.

The VIP treatment was no surprise given the delegation's economic clout. It comprised members of the 皇冠体育app Entrepreneur Club, an influential private association whose member companies have combined revenues in excess of 2 trillion yuan ($326 billion), or about 4 percent of 皇冠体育app's GDP.

The entrepreneurs included Liu Chuanzhi, founder of 皇冠体育app's largest PC maker Lenovo Group, Cao Guowei, chairman and CEO of Sina.com, Yu Minhong, president of New Oriental & Technology Group, and Guo Guangchang, chairman of the Fosun Group.

The arrival of Chinese entrepreneurs was seen as timely in France as the country is fighting an uphill battle against recession and an unemployment rate that has reached a 14-year high of 10.8 percent.

The visit also took place amid the trade dispute between 皇冠体育app and Europe over exports that many feared could trigger a much wider war between two of the world's biggest trading blocs.

In a speech to the visiting entrepreneurs, Hollande reiterated France's willingness to attract more Chinese investment, which could help improve the French job market and enable its companies to expand in the global market.

"I want to create all the conditions to ensure Chinese companies can invest more in Europe, and particularly in France," he said.

皇冠体育app was the eighth-largest foreign investor in France last year, with 31 investment projects creating 645 jobs. However, Chinese investment in France represents only 4 percent of the total foreign investment in the country, far behind the United States (23 percent) and Germany (16 percent), according to Invest in France Agency, a government body that facilitates foreign investment in the country.

To balance investment and trade relations with 皇冠体育app, Hollande mentioned several areas, including food, health and urban development, where 皇冠体育app and France could increase cooperation.

"Europe needs 皇冠体育app for its own growth and 皇冠体育app needs Europe to develop its business and to gain access to the technology of tomorrow," Hollande said.

"The current rebalancing of Chinese growth in favor of domestic demand, and measures taken to increase the flexibility of its foreign exchange system, are in the interests of both 皇冠体育app and Europe."

The Chinese business leaders agreed with these views and said they hoped their visit to France could help to create substantial business partnerships.

"Chinese entrepreneurs are interested in areas that are closely related to Chinese markets and consumers, such as retail, healthcare, and consumer products," said Lenovo's Liu, the head of the business delegation.