TMTPost -- Chinese President Xi Jinping is going to meet a group of Amercian business leaders on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The people said the list of participants has not finalized yet but revealed some of participants on list are Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council and Evan Greenberg, CEO of the insurer Chubb Ltd.

Credit：Xinhua News Agency

Xi’s meeting, if it were true, would follow a two-day China Development Forum (CDF),  an annual high-level event hosted by the Development Research Center of the State Council, China's cabinet. Themed "The Continuous Development of China," this year's CDF focuses on various issues, ranging from China's growth drivers and prospects, carbon neutrality, big health, digital transformation of industries, to new consumption. More than 400 people attended the forum, including experts from home and abroad, government officials,  representatives from international organizations and entrepreneurs such as top executives of Apple, Qualcomm, McKinsey, AstraZeneca, L'Oreal.

In his keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of CDF, China’s Premier Li Qiang the Chinese government has always regarded respect for the market and services for enterprises as an important focus in planning economic work, and has always been an advocate and a good companion for the development of enterprises. Li said China will take practical and effective actions to promote high-quality development and inject more certainty and positive energy into the recovery and stable development of the world economy. The premier pledged efforts to intensify macro-policy adjustments, expand domestic demand, promote a new type of people-centered urbanization, and advance large-scale equipment renewal and trade-ins of durable consumer goods.China will continue to promote industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and push forward green transformation, while also addressing both symptoms and root causes of challenges to prevent and defuse risks and hidden dangers, he said

Global attendees expressed their upbeat on new opportunities that China’s development will bring. "We have faced challenges before - and overcome them. Together. China's remarkable journey stands as a testament to what's possible," said Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, at the CDF. "In the medium-term, China will continue to be a key contributor to global economic growth," said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, at the forum. L'Oreal will continue to invest in China, home to one of the company’s three beauty tech hubs worldwide, as it believes investing in China is investing in the future, said L'Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus.

At a climate change dialogue Sunday at the CDF, Apple CEO Tim Cook said artificial intelligence (AI) provides an enormous toolkit for every company that’s wishing to be carbon neutral or to lower their emissions by a substantial amount, and can help businesses calculate an individual person’s carbon footprint, identify materials available for recovery and offer strategies for recycling. Apple has set ambitious targets for carbon footprint reduction, with the Apple Watch being hailed as its inaugural carbon-neutral product, Cook reiterated this environmental commitment throughout his visit in China, adding that Apple is making great progress but still requires more innovation on the track to meet the target.

Prior to the CDF, Chinese Commerce minister Wang Wentao met a host of overseas business leaders including Cook, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Visa Inc CEO Ryan McInerney. Cook told the minister Apple will pump resources into applied research in Shanghai, without disclosing details of the investment. China, as Apple’s important market and homeland of Apple’s key supply chain partners, has rich human resources and strong innovation vitality, Cook said. The 63-year-old CEO said Apple will continue to be committed to long-term development in China and continue to increase investment in China's supply chain, R&D and sales.