The SARS outbreak will not shake China's confidence or its economic progress and the country still boasts the world's most attractive investment environment, Vice-Premier Wu Yi said Thursday.
Meeting with Stuart Levernick, vice-president of Caterpillar Investment Co Ltd, Wu said a few foreign commerce delegations had postponed or cancelled visits to China and some foreign workers had been called home after the SARS outbreak, which was understandable.
But most foreign business people had stayed in China and joined their Chinese colleagues in fighting the epidemic and continuing normal production and management.
Now the situation was more stable and normal life was gradually resuming, Wu said, governments at all levels were taking measures to encourage foreign investment, including making more use of the Internet, solving problems for foreign businesses, and allowing more time for foreign investors unable to fulfil their commitments on time because of SARS.
Wu said the unexpected outbreak of the disease had prompted China to improve the transparency and efficiency of its administration and foreign business people would make the right choices in view of these facts.
Caterpillar is one of the world's largest heavy equipment and engine manufacturers, and also one of the first US companies to invest in China.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30 2003)
