A Starbucks store in Beijing's Joy City shopping mall on Tuesday. Photo: Zhang Hongpei/GT
Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged US coffee chain Starbucks to play a positive role in China-US trade ties, while saying that China would further open up to US and other foreign businesses, in reply to a letter from Howard Schultz, chairman emeritus of Starbucks.
In the reply dated on January 6, the Chinese President said that China has embarked on a new mission to build a modern socialist country and that China will offer more room for companies from around the world, including US firms such as Starbucks, according to an official statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Xi's letter was in reply to a letter from Schultz, in which he congratulated China on remaining on track to achieve the goal to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects under the leadership of President Xi and expressed respect to the Chinese people and culture.
In the reply, Xi stressed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the 1.4 billion Chinese people have undertaken long-term arduous work to build a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and a modern socialist country.
Xi also encouraged Schultz and Starbucks to continue to play a positive role in promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and the US and the development of the bilateral relationship.