China will introduce more practical and effective measures to stabilize foreign investment.

The executive meeting of the State Council held on the 10th reviewed and approved the "2025 Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment." The meeting pointed out that foreign - invested enterprises play an important role in absorbing employment, stabilizing exports, and promoting industrial upgrading. More practical and effective measures should be introduced to stabilize the existing foreign investment and expand new inflows.

In 2024, the actual utilized foreign investment in China amounted to 826.25 billion yuan, a year - on - year decrease of 27.1%. Meanwhile, 59,080 new foreign - invested enterprises were established, a year - on - year increase of 9.9%.

The meeting proposed that China should orderly expand independent opening - up, deepen opening - up pilot projects in relevant fields, implement the requirement of completely removing foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector, optimize the comprehensive pilot demonstration for expanding the opening - up of the service industry at the national level, and expand the scope of industries that encourage foreign investment.

Li Yongsha, Deputy Representative of the China International Trade Negotiation of the Ministry of Commerce, previously publicly stated that China will steadily promote the expansion of opening - up in the service industry, especially in promoting the pilot work of opening - up in fields such as telecommunications, healthcare, and education. The "Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment" will be revised to enhance the attractiveness of investment - promotion policies.

Zhao Fujun said that since 2024, China has successively introduced measures to expand independent opening - up in fields such as value - added telecommunications and healthcare, and completely removed foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector. The number of foreign investment access restriction measures nationwide has been reduced from 31 to 29. By promoting the implementation of relevant opening - up measures and optimizing pilot demonstrations in line with the economic development situation and industrial development trends, it will play a role in promoting high - quality foreign investment attraction.

The meeting also proposed that China should continue to build the "Invest in China" brand, increase support for the reinvestment of foreign - invested enterprises in China, encourage foreign - invested enterprises to conduct equity investment in China, and optimize the rules and procedures for foreign mergers and acquisitions.

The Ministry of Commerce said that building the "Invest in China" brand is an important measure to innovate investment - attraction methods and broaden investment - attraction channels. The Ministry of Commerce plans to interpret and analyze the comprehensive advantages of the Chinese economy to foreign investors through landmark exhibitions, key events, and key platforms, and introduce more high - quality foreign - invested projects.

The meeting required that domestic and foreign - invested enterprises should be treated equally in government procurement and other work. The financing channels for foreign - invested enterprises should be broadened, and the protection of intellectual property rights should be strengthened. It is necessary to ensure the service guarantee for foreign - invested projects and provide more conveniences for the entry, exit, stay, and residence of personnel from foreign - invested enterprises.

Pan Yuanyuan, an associate researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the meeting put forward clear requirements in areas highly concerned by foreign investors, such as government procurement, intellectual property protection, and entry and exit. This is conducive to solving the difficulties and bottlenecks in foreign investment in China, strengthening relevant service guarantees, further optimizing the business environment, and giving foreign - invested enterprises a sense of security in their development in China. (Reporter: Xie Xiyao)

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 10)