Macron hosts 140 world business leaders

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is hosting 140 world business leaders in a bid to convince them to invest and hire in France — and to persuade the French themselves of the merits of his economic policies.

Macron wants to promote his business-friendly policies, including measures to ease France’s labor rules and tax changes that aim to attract foreign investors.

He is visiting Monday a Toyota plant in northern France before heading to the evening business event at the chateau of Versailles, in the presence of 15 French government ministers.

Macron’s office said several companies will announce investments plans.

Japan’s Toyota unveiled a 300 million euros plan ($367 million) to enlarge its Onnaing car factory, creating 800 new jobs by 2020.

“We kind of forgot this, but the French are very innovative. We must re-awaken this”, Macron told employees during the visit to the factory.

Facebook will invest 10 million euros ($12 million) in its French artificial intelligence center. Other announcements will include a food production plant and a research center, some traditional manufacturers and some high tech projects.

CEOs or top executives from Coca-Cola, Google, JP Morgan and Alibaba are among those expected at the meeting. (AP)