BEIJING—Chinese leaders are stepping up a charm offensive with U.S. multinationals and dropping earlier threats of retaliation as Beijing changes tack to keep the trade fight with Washington from scaring off foreign investors.
Beijing is offering a reassuring message in its outreach to American companies. At a meeting last month, Liu He, President Xi Jinping’s economic-policy chief, told visiting American business executives that U.S. companies’ China operations won’t be targeted in Beijing’s trade counterattacks.
“We won’t allow retribution against foreign companies,” Mr. Liu said, said people briefed on the event.