How to shape new advantages in attracting foreign investment (Policy Q&A · Responding to Concerns)

Readers are concerned

I work for a foreign company and the company's revenue has been good in recent years. I am planning to further increase investment and expand business. I would like to know what policy measures China will take in attracting foreign investment in the future?

Foreign funded enterprises are important participants in Chinese path to modernization, China's reform and opening up, innovation and creation, and China's access to the world and integration into economic globalization.

During the 14th Five Year Plan period, China achieved the investment target of 700 billion US dollars proposed in the business development plan six months ahead of schedule. Foreign funded enterprises contribute one-third of the country's imports and exports, one-quarter of its industrial added value, and one seventh of its tax revenue, creating over 30 million job opportunities.

The Central Economic Work Conference has deployed eight key tasks for this year's economic work and proposed to deepen the reform of the system and mechanism for promoting foreign investment. At the end of December 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce publicly released the "Catalogue of Industries Encouraged for Foreign Investment (2025 Edition)". The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce introduced that the total number of entries in the 2025 version of the catalog is 1679, which is a net increase of 205 and a modification of 303 compared to the 2022 version; Guide more foreign investment to invest in advanced manufacturing, modern service industry, high-tech, energy conservation and environmental protection, and other fields, and to invest in the central and western regions and northeastern regions of China.

The Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant departments and localities, will deeply implement the "Implementation Plan for Building the 'Invest in China' Brand (2025)", hold a series of investment promotion activities both domestically and internationally, and actively promote investment opportunities in China.

The National Business Work Conference held in January this year proposed to focus on shaping new advantages in attracting foreign investment and polishing the "Invest in China" brand.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has made arrangements to expand high-level opening up to the outside world, sending a strong signal that China adheres to open cooperation and mutual benefit. The Ministry of Commerce will focus on the following three aspects of work to accelerate the shaping of new advantages in attracting foreign investment.

One is to expand market access for foreign investment. Focusing on the service industry, we will expand market access and open up areas, and further expand pilot projects for opening up telecommunications, healthcare, and other industries. Implement the "access and operation" requirements for foreign investment in open fields, and help foreign-funded enterprises solve specific problems encountered in market access.

The second is to further enhance the level of foreign investment services. We will deepen the reform of the system and mechanism for promoting foreign investment, give full play to the role of many bilateral investment promotion mechanisms, strengthen the investment attraction functions of open platforms such as pilot free trade zones, national level economic development zones, and comprehensive pilot demonstrations for expanding the opening up of the national service industry, and create favorable conditions for foreign-funded enterprises to invest in China.

The third is to continuously optimize the foreign investment environment. Organize a roundtable meeting for foreign-funded enterprises and transform their "demand list" into a government "service list". We will continuously improve the foreign investment service guarantee system, fully implement national treatment, and continue to create a market-oriented, rule of law, and international first-class business environment, focusing on the key aspects that foreign-funded enterprises pay attention to, such as element acquisition, qualification licensing, standard setting, and government procurement.