Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng says China welcomes Japanese companies to develop in China and share market opportunities, Xinhua reports

Statements of this kind from a senior Chinese economic official are standard diplomatic positioning rather than policy signal; welcoming foreign investment language has been a recurring feature of Beijing's bilateral messaging during periods of strained ties, and on previous occasions it has preceded working-level dialogue more often than concrete measures. The actor matters: He Lifeng carries the economic portfolio and is a regular interlocutor in trade and financial dialogues, so his framing tends to reflect the leadership's current tone toward a given partner rather than freelancing. The operative question is what follows on the Japanese side, since China-Japan economic engagement has historically moved on reciprocal gestures, ministerial visits, and any easing of trade or export-control friction rather than on open-door rhetoric alone. Worth noting is the distinction between inbound investment language, which is low-cost for Beijing to offer, and anything touching market access, rare earths, or technology restrictions, which is where actual friction sits. As a single rhetorical data point carried by state media, the signal is directional and sentiment-grade; the follow-ons to watch are any scheduled bilateral meetings and whether Tokyo reciprocates in kind.