Carestream Health welcomes efforts to level playing field for foreign investors

Liu Jie, vice-president of Carestream Health Inc and president of Carestream's Greater China Cluster [Photo provided to China Daily]

Q: What do you think of China's economic growth target of about 6.5 percent this year, amid the sluggish global recovery? What business opportunities do you see coming from sectors that will be opened to wider foreign investment, such as services, manufacturing and mining?

A: It is a practical target for the Chinese government to set GDP growth at about 6.5 percent, lower than last year's 6.7 percent. Despite that, the economy is still maintaining medium-to-high growth.

This tremendous development potential will continue to provide momentum for the global economy.

With the acceleration of its opening-up policy, China is becoming increasingly integrated with the world economy.

Enterprises need to grasp new opportunities, resist pressures from various forces and inspire a new impetus to promote innovation and development.

Q: How do you assess the role of the Chinese market in your global business strategy and layout? What are your views on China's efforts and extended preferential policies to further attract foreign investment? Do you plan to increase investment or expand your presence in the Chinese market this year?

A: In recent years, we have seen constantly improved efforts in China's opening-up and the improvement of the country's investment environment.

China is our largest market, and to better serve it, we will make a greater commitment in areas such as research and development, production and sales and services.

Q: What business opportunities do you expect to see as China promotes the Belt and Road Initiative? Have you participated in, or do you plan to participate in any projects linked with the initiative? How do you think infrastructure investment can contribute to global growth?

A: The Belt and Road Initiative is a medium- and long-term strategy that will further increase China's global influence.

Hopefully, during the next few years, this strategy will produce great policy dividends, including investment opportunities in infrastructure construction, services and multiple industry chains.

Homegrown and multinational corporations need to expand overseas and conduct exchanges and cooperation to better complement each other's advantages.

We expect multinationals － which hold inherent advantages in technology, standards and services － to actively take part in the initiative and drive economic development.

Q: This year, China will continue to implement supply-side reform. What does the reform mean for your business, and how will you adjust your business strategy in China to deal with it?

A: The implementation of supply-side structural reform is an opportunity, but also a great challenge for businesses.

It spells a rare opportunity for Carestream Health to pursue technological progress, adapt to the survival of the fittest and a better competitive environment, and satisfy new demand.

Meanwhile, when seeking development, we need to think outside of the box, focus on customer demand and develop industry-leading products and services to provide more humanized and innovative solutions.

Q: What is your opinion of China's efforts to upgrade its manufacturing capabilities and promote innovation? Will China's innovation-driven campaign spur the vitality and competitiveness of the economy?

A: China needs to make efforts to make the manufacturing sector "intelligent". Mechanisms must be established to encourage small businesses to innovate and large enterprises to improve and industrialize.

The Made in China 2025 strategy will accelerate the application of big data, cloud computing and the internet of things, and drive changes in production, management and marketing patterns in traditional industries with new technologies, new business formats and new models.

China's intelligent manufacturing will bring about a comprehensive improvement and more world-famous Chinese brands, ushering in an era of quality for economic development.