US-based semiconductor firm Micron Photo: VCG

Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra reportedly visited China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Wednesday, in the latest evidence of US companies' unwavering confidence in the Chinese market and China's support for foreign companies and opening-up.

The visit comes on the heels of a series of visits by US officials to China, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, US climate envoy John Kerry, and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, reflecting the increasing talks and interaction between China and the US.

Mehrotra visited the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday, the National Business Daily reported, without giving further information about the meeting.

This visit comes after Micron in June announced further investment of 4.3 billion yuan ($603 million) in its packaging and testing plant in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in the next few years.

The company said that the investment "showcased its unswerving commitment" to its Chinese business.

US companies' growing confidence in the Chinese market goes against claims by some Western politicians that China is cracking down on foreign firms, after Micron failed to pass China's cyber security review in May, analysts said.

In May, China's Cybersecurity Review Office released the findings of its cybersecurity review of Micron, stating that the company did not pass the review due to its severe cybersecurity problems. These problems could pose significant security risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain.

The review of Micron is a necessary measure to maintain the country's national security, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press conference in May.

Mao stressed that China is committed to advancing high-level opening-up and consistently strives to create a market-oriented and internationalized business environment.

"As long as companies and products comply with Chinese laws and regulations, we welcome enterprises and products from any country to enter the Chinese market," Mao said.

Data showed that China's door to foreign companies is opening wider and wider.

The number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises has grown rapidly, with 24,000 new foreign-invested enterprises settling in China in the first half of the year, representing a 35.7 percent increase from a year ago, according to MOFCOM.

Global Times