China's premier promises more open economy

BEIJING (AP) — China’s premier promised Wednesday to open the world’s No. 2 economy wider to foreign companies, promising favorable conditions despite a wave of anti-monopoly investigations that business groups say might be aimed at limiting competition.

Speaking at a business conference, Premier Li Keqiang made no mention of the probes against foreign automakers, drug and technology suppliers and other companies. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a report this week the investigations unfairly target foreign companies and might be a violation of Beijing’s free-trade pledges.