Recent data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that from January to February this year, 8,631 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, representing a year-on-year increase of 14%. Against the backdrop of a faltering global economic recovery and persistent uncertainties, global capital has cast a "vote of confidence" with real investment. This clearly demonstrates China's strong appeal as a global investment destination and signals that, in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's high-level opening-up is advancing to deeper levels and broader areas, injecting valuable stability and new momentum into the world economy.
At present, the global economic outlook is fraught with variables, and undercurrents of trade protectionism are emerging. In this context, the steady growth in foreign investment data at the start of the year is particularly valuable. Foreign enterprises have reached a consensus based on long-term observation and rational assessment: in an uncertain world, China represents the greatest certainty. This certainty stems from China's firm commitment and practical actions to steadily expand high-level opening-up.
The Central Economic Work Conference clearly outlined the task to "deepen reforms of the systems and mechanisms for promoting foreign investment." Regions across the country are integrating efforts to stabilize foreign investment with expanding domestic demand, boosting consumption, and technological innovation, adopting comprehensive measures. From market "access" to "operations," from optimizing support policies to improving service guarantee systems, a series of policy "combination punches" are being accelerated, aiming to create an open, transparent, and predictable investment environment where foreign enterprises can settle with peace of mind and pursue long-term development.
Observing foreign investment trends requires looking not just at "whether they are coming," but more importantly at "what they do after arriving." The positive trend in the early-year data is accompanied by notable optimization in structure, marking a new phase for China in utilizing foreign investment characterized by "improvements in both quality and efficiency."
The improvement in quality is first reflected in the accelerated upgrading of the industrial structure. In recent years, foreign investment in China has increasingly tilted towards high-tech industries and high-tech services represented by R&D centers and innovation centers. This aligns closely with China's push to cultivate new quality productive forces and drive industrial transformation and upgrading. Foreign capital no longer sees China merely as the "world's factory" but increasingly values its role as a "global hub of innovation," actively investing in emerging frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, new energy, intelligent manufacturing, and green transformation.
The improvement in quality is also evident in the diversified expansion of geographical layout and the deepening of integration. Foreign investment is gradually extending from the eastern coastal regions to the central and western inland areas, seeking new opportunities within regional coordinated development. More importantly, the integration of foreign enterprises with China's economy and society is undergoing a profound shift from "entering" to "embedding." In terms of innovation cooperation, there is a move from one-way technology transfer to joint research and development; in supply chain integration, the focus is shifting from cost-driven to resilience-prioritized; in business models, localized operations are becoming a key trend, with many multinational companies planning or having already localized critical business segments in China. This deep integration embeds foreign enterprises more closely into China's high-quality development process, allowing them to share in the benefits of market growth.
The positive data at the start of the year lays a solid foundation for foreign investment work throughout the year and signals a call for regions to intensify efforts in launching new foreign-invested projects and enhancing their quality and efficiency. Shanghai is supporting foreign enterprises' reinvestment within China to build "future factories"; Shandong is burnishing its "Sincere Shandong" investment promotion brand, strengthening targeted investment attraction and full-process services; Jiangsu is encouraging foreign enterprises to increase capital and expand production, demonstrating development vitality. These diverse and practical measures collectively paint a vivid picture of China's nationwide efforts to optimize the business environment.
The year-on-year growth in foreign investment data from January to February serves as a window into the resilience of the Chinese economy and its sincerity in opening up. Amid turbulent international conditions, China, anchored by its own certainty and setting sail with the opportunities of high-quality development, continues to exert an irreplaceable "magnetic attraction." The continuous inflow and optimized layout of foreign investment are both a vote of confidence in China's development prospects and an inevitable path for China's deep interaction and shared future with the world. By adhering to opening-up and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, China is poised to remain a fertile ground for foreign investment in the long term, working alongside enterprises from all countries to jointly create a brighter future.