Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the opening ceremony of the second China International Import Expo zeroed in on several key issues that many political and business leaders are concerned about. 

He talked about the need for countries to work towards a more free and open global trade and investment environment. Kingsley Ahenkorah, the deputy trade and industry minister of Ghana, said China has "opened up their doors to the developing world, especially to those from Africa. Ghana's economy and China's economy are playing very large and big roles together. We have managed to do business over the years close to about three billion U.S. dollars, we hope to do more," said Ahenkorah. 

Reaffirming China's commitment towards opening its market and creating a level playing field for all companies remains a key message from President Xi. That message was echoed by many business leaders. 

"We have seen a long track record of gradual improvements in the socio-economic environment over the last few years and the Chinese government has put a lot of emphasis on environmental standards. That's good for us. We represent, if you like, American farmers. They have a real need of access to the Asian markets, and China in particular," said Marcellinus Smits, the Asia-Pacific chairman of Cargill, a U.S. conglomerate.