China's government has laid the ground for giving foreign businesses access to government procurement contracts for technology products, a climbdown from earlier rules criticised as excluding foreign groups from this market.

The softening comes amid a broader thaw in China's relations with the United States after disagreements over issues ranging from industrial policy, its currency regime, US weapons sales to Taiwan, internet censorship and cybersecurity. Hu Jintao, China's president, held talks with Barack Obama last night.

In a document published on its website over the weekend, the Ministry of Science and Technology said any company whose products conformed with Chinese laws, regulations and the country's technology policy and which possessed legal rights to the related intellectual property could gain accreditation under rules on “indigenous innovation” to bid for government contracts.