China sought Monday to reassure foreign investors, saying it would never close its doors to the outside world and was committed to improving the business climate.
"We are protecting the legitimate rights of foreign enterprises according to law," Chinese President Xi Jinping said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Xi's comments, made during a roundtable discussion with international business leaders at the Boao Forum for Asia, come as U.S. companies grow increasingly wary about the investment environment amid concerns over intellectual property and cybersecurity.
The newly-appointed president also said China will work to improve its legal system, so that all enterprises will be on an equal footing.
A recent survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found 78% of businesses were optimistic when asked to describe their two-year outlook but the percentage which see improvements in the investment environment fell to 28% this year from 43% in 2012.
And more than one in four U.S. businesses operating in China has already experienced the breach or theft of proprietary data or trade secrets, the survey said.
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