Xi’s Reform Push Is Not Deng’s Reform Push

China is hosting a confab of international executives this weekend, one where Beijing’s leadership is set to trot out commitments to market access while professing a deep desire for foreign firms to participate in the domestic economy. The expected pledges for bold reform and opening up reflect a rising concern about everyone heading for the exits—otherwise known as the “sell China” narrative.

In the run-up to the China Development Forum, which CEOs including Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook and Pfizer Inc.’s Albert Bourla are expected to attend, the state-run Xinhua wire service was busy extolling President Xi Jinping’s reformist credentials, going all the way back to his teenage years. Xi may even make the reform case to foreign business chiefs himself at a sit-down on Wednesday—a follow-up to his dinner with executives in San Francisco in November.