BEIJING, Jan. 14, (Asia Free Press): China Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) hit a record high in 2021, a year when the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak chaos on the world economy.
The FDI into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 14.9 per cent year on year to a record high of 1.15 trillion yuan in 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.
High-tech industries saw FDI inflows jump 17.1 per cent from a year earlier, spokesperson of the Ministry Shu Jueting told a press briefing.
Foreign investment in China’s high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services industries rose 10.7 per cent and 19.2 per cent, year on year, respectively.
The robust growth came as China’s long-term and sound economic fundamental and constantly improving business environment retained an appeal to foreign capital, said Zhang Jianping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Commerce Ministry, Xinhua reported.
Last year, the total FDI inflow into the services sector increased 16.7 per cent, year on year, to 906.49 billion yuan.
Investment in the Chinese mainland from countries along the Belt and Road and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations jumped 29.4 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively, data from the ministry shows.
China will further expand its high-level opening-up, enhance its services for foreign-funded firms and projects, and make more efforts to optimize the business environment in 2022 to attract more investors for FDI, Shu said.
Shu also disclosed, this year, the ministry will make solid efforts to implement the negative lists and guide more foreign capital to invest in emerging fields, including advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech, energy conservation, environmental protection, and the digital economy.
