Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday spoke at a symposium was attended by business leaders including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, state media reported, as Beijing grapples with a slowing economy and growing tensions with the U.

China president Xi Jinping and captain of industry Jack Ma met on Feb. 17 and shook hands, an event that has apparently signalled a possible shift in the country's stance towards the tech industry. Xi said at the symposium meeting that efforts should be made to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the country's private sector.