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Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies who attended the opening session, offered a mixed review.

Li’s address was “reassuring about demonstrating the Chinese government knows how serious domestic problems they face are — and the difficult geopolitical environment,” Kennedy said. But “there was still insufficient specifics and details around what changes to domestic policy they’ll make, and really no recognition that Chinese policies are generating global anxieties and increasing geostrategic tensions,” he said.

President Xi Jinping may offer his own remarks to executives later this week, with a potential sit-down on Wednesday. Meantime, Vice President Han Zheng is scheduled to speak at the Invest In China summit Tuesday.

For now, overseas business representatives were happy to endorse the messages received.

Read More: China’s Inbound Investment Slows Again Despite Beijing’s Efforts

Nestle’s Schneider said Li’s remarks on access for international companies and on bringing back domestic consumption were “music to our ears.” Bourla of Pfizer praised China for having a “coherent, cohesive plan.”

The People’s Daily newspaper, an official mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, touted the recent flurry of visits by foreign executives in a page-3 commentary on Monday that proclaimed the country as an indispensable market.

While International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva called at the forum Sunday for more pro-market reforms, the People’s Daily characterized them as a nod to China’s “new-era of high-quality growth.”

The IMF chief was joined at the forum by World Bank President Ajay Banga, helping add to an appearance of re-engagement between Washington and Beijing months after the US-China presidential summit in San Francisco. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last year said the IMF and World Bank “reflect American values.” Yellen herself is expected to return for a visit to Beijing soon.

It marked a notable shift from last year, when a number of overseas corporate leaders were hesitant to attend the forum amid an escalation in US-China tensions.

“It was very important to have the premier here and speaking to business directly,” said Sean Stein, chair of the American Chamber of Commerce China. “The China Development Forum was always seen as the premier’s platform to talk with businesses on what’s happening in the economy, and that exchange goes all the way back to Zhu Rongji days,” he said, referring to a pro-reform former premier.

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