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面对复杂严峻的国际环境和全球跨境投资下滑的不利影响，中国坚持更大力度吸引和利用外资，坚持发挥两个市场、两种资源联动效应，开放合作引力不减，为全球经济注入更多确定性和增长新动力。

The New Year brings new goals and a fresh atmosphere—recently, local legislative sessions have been intensively convened, proposing a series of measures around attracting foreign investment and outward investment. A number of clear, proactive, and pragmatic measures have made the image of an "open China" more distinct, highlighted the concept of "mutual benefit and win-win," and also raised more and better expectations from all sectors.

Expand Opening-Up, Host Successful Events, and Build Brands Localities Take More Practical Measures to Attract Foreign Investment

Allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, promote the "zeroing out" of foreign investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector, and host "Invest in China" promotion events both domestically and internationally... This year, China has continuously relaxed market access, enabling more foreign investment to enter. This year, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises nationwide increased by .% year-on-year.

吸引外资是中国开放型经济体制的重要组成部分。年，全球引资竞争愈发激烈，面临更加复杂多变的外部环境，做好稳外资工作更要稳住存量、扩大增量，让外资在华经营安心、放心、有信心。

The State Council executive meeting recently convened reviewed and approved the "Annual Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment." The meeting emphasized the significant role foreign-funded enterprises play in job creation, export stabilization, and industrial upgrading, and called for more practical and effective measures to stabilize existing investments and expand new ones. On the specified date, the "Action Plan" was officially released.

At the National Commerce Work Conference, while outlining the key tasks for the year regarding foreign investment, it was emphasized that efforts should be made to promote and attract foreign investment to stabilize existing stocks and expand new increments, creating a first-class business environment. There should be an orderly expansion of independent and unilateral openness, continuously building the "Invest in China" brand, leveraging the role of national economic and technological development zones as investment carriers, and strengthening service guarantees for foreign enterprises.

Recently, with the intensive convening of local "Two Sessions," "high-level opening up" has become a hot topic. Journalists have noted that many regions have explicitly stated in their government work reports their focus on promoting the stabilization and expansion of foreign investment, adopting more pragmatic measures to attract and utilize foreign capital.

Specifically, the focus will be on two main areas of work: first, to further expand openness by implementing the new version of the negative list for foreign investment access and the newly revised catalog of industries that encourage foreign investment, continuously relaxing market access. Second, to build a brand by organizing high-quality "Invest in China" events, continuing to conduct investment promotion, project matching, policy introduction, and thematic discussions both domestically and internationally.

Fujian has proposed to thoroughly implement the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system for foreign investment, fulfill the requirement to "zero out" foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector, strengthen service guarantees for foreign investment, and successfully host the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade.

Beijing continues to make efforts in implementing the foreign investment access management system, aiming to promote the orderly expansion of openness in sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, education, and culture, and to secure the establishment of more landmark foreign investment projects.

Shanghai will further expand the high-level opening of its service sector, increasing openness in areas such as healthcare and cultural tourism. The city will implement the newly revised catalog of industries encouraging foreign investment, ensure greater national treatment for foreign enterprises, accelerate the landing of a number of major foreign investment projects, and further enhance the "Invest in Shanghai" brand. It will fully implement the negative list for cross-border trade in services, continue to build functional platforms such as global distribution centers, and carry out plans to upgrade regional headquarters of multinational corporations and foreign-funded R&D centers.

Tianjin proactively plans for institutional openness, aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, promoting the compatibility and integration of rules, regulations, management, and standards, deepening the pilot program for expanding the opening of the service industry, and steadily expanding openness in sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, shipping, and finance. It improves the institutional service mechanism, strengthens regular service exchange platforms and task forces for key foreign investment projects, and supports foreign enterprises in participating in the upstream and downstream collaboration of the industrial chain, as well as expanding into both domestic and international markets within the scope of "two new" areas.

Guangdong is vigorously attracting foreign investment, clearly deepening the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanisms, implementing the new version of the negative list for foreign investment access, and continuously expanding openness in sectors such as telecommunications, education, elderly care, medical services, and health. The province will successfully host the Greater Bay Area Global Investment Conference, the Pearl River Delta and Eastern-Western-Northern Guangdong Economic and Trade Cooperation Investment Conference, the World Cantonese Merchants Conference, and the World Hakka Merchants Conference. It will also improve the direct communication channels for multinational corporations and the roundtable meeting mechanism for foreign enterprises, strengthen cooperation with overseas sovereign wealth funds, and conduct investment promotion in industrial chains, equity, headquarters, and scenarios. Guangdong will vigorously implement the "top leader" project for investment attraction, coordinate the attraction of both domestic and foreign capital, polish the "Invest in Guangdong" brand, and make Guangdong the preferred and optimal location for corporate investment.

Chongqing is focusing on stabilizing foreign investment by establishing a list of existing projects for capital increase and production expansion, as well as a list of opportunities for foreign investment projects. The city will intensify its efforts to attract investment from key regions such as Europe, ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea, and enhance the "Invest in Chongqing" brand.

Jiangsu implements measures to "zero out" foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector and deeply enforces a new round of policies to encourage profit reinvestment by foreign enterprises. It vigorously develops foreign headquarters and R&D centers. The province supports pilot regions in introducing foreign investment in sectors such as telecommunications and healthcare, and deepens the comprehensive pilot for expanding the opening of the service industry in Nanjing.

Yunnan will promote the deepening of reforms in the foreign investment promotion system and mechanisms, implement policies such as "zeroing out" foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector, and improve the management of regional headquarters of multinational corporations and special policies for foreign investment.

山东聚力打造高质量外资集聚地，明确要抓住制造业领域外资准入限制措施“清零”和电信、医疗、教育、文化等服务业开放机遇，加强对欧洲、中东、东盟和香港地区等常态化招商，深化与世界强和行业领军企业合作。用好利润再投资、跨国股权并购等引资方式。

Hainan is planning to deepen the pilot program for expanding the opening of the service industry, developing distinctive sectors such as digital trade, healthcare, aerospace, and cross-border finance. The province aims to optimize the roundtable meeting system for foreign enterprises in the Hainan Free Trade Port, actively conduct overseas investment and talent recruitment activities, and accelerate the implementation of landmark foreign investment projects.

安徽聚焦开拓利用外资新模式新渠道，加强与国际性组织、专业机构、跨国公司以及双边基金的对接合作，鼓励外商投资企业利润再投资。

Xu Weihong, a researcher at the Pangoal Institution, analyzed to the International Business Daily that China has successively introduced measures to expand independent openness in fields such as value-added telecommunications and healthcare, completely removing foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector. The nationwide foreign investment access restrictions have been reduced from several items to fewer, aligning with the economic development situation and industrial trends. By promoting the implementation of relevant opening measures and optimizing pilot demonstrations, various regions will play a role in attracting high-quality foreign investment.

A Better Business Environment Makes Foreign Companies Feel More at Ease in China

While the negative list is being reduced, attracting foreign investment also requires making additions in terms of the business environment. Multiple departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, have stated that they will enhance services in the future to create a first-class business environment and provide a fair competitive environment for foreign enterprises.

To attract foreign investment, it is essential to continuously improve the business environment, which includes not only enhancing the production and operational conditions for foreign businesses in China but also increasing the convenience of daily life for foreigners in China, making entry, exit, and residence more convenient. Pan Yuanyuan, an associate researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that strengthening related service guarantees and further optimizing the business environment will provide a "reassurance" for the development of foreign enterprises in China.

Journalists have reviewed the government work reports from various regions and found that many localities have deployed related work in strengthening service guarantees, optimizing the business environment, and creating a fair competitive environment this year.

In terms of enhancing service guarantees, Anhui proposes to strengthen the construction of international schools and communities, and improve the convenience systems for foreign residents in terms of entry, residence, healthcare, and payment.

Shanghai has proposed to continuously enhance the environmental, social, and governance capabilities of foreign-related enterprises.

Shandong will deepen reforms in the business environment, continuously carry out actions to innovate and enhance the business environment, diligently address the practical problems encountered by foreign enterprises, and fully maintain a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and international first-class environment and image.

Hunan continues to optimize its development environment, focusing on creating a first-class business environment characterized by "three modernizations" (marketization, rule of law, and internationalization). It implements the market access negative list system, carries out special actions to standardize law enforcement involving enterprises, and builds a national intellectual property protection demonstration zone to high standards. It also protects the property rights of various business entities and the legitimate rights and interests of entrepreneurs equally in accordance with the law.

Guangdong will strengthen the rigid constraints of fair competition review, reinforce anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition efforts, and create a leading area for fair competition in the unified market of the Greater Bay Area. It will promote the healthy development of the platform economy. The province will innovate the management mechanisms for bidding and project management, improve the market information disclosure system, and enhance the protection of trade secrets. Comprehensive measures will be taken to address "involution-style" competition. Guangdong will deepen the national pilot projects for innovative business environments in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and continuously optimize the business environments in eastern, western, and northern Guangdong.

黑龙江部署持续优化营商环境工作，扎实开展新一轮优化营商环境三年专项行动，营造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境。加大外商投资企业合法权益保护力度，清理违反公平竞争行为和政策措施，打造透明稳定可预期制度环境。落实全国统一大市场建设指引（试行）和新版市场准入负面清单，坚决破除地方保护和市场分割，促进商品、要素、资源在更大范围内畅通流动。深化数字政府建设，加快国家部署的“高效办成一件事”落实落地，持续打造具有龙江特色的“一件事”服务矩阵。

Hubei focuses on key areas and critical sectors to tackle challenges, creating a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, continuously enhancing the internal driving force for development. It guides and supports various enterprises to vigorously carry out product technology innovation, business model innovation, and management innovation, accelerating the reconstruction of the quality and efficiency of supply in domestic and international markets. The province deepens reforms and construction of the business environment, conducts special actions to regulate law enforcement involving enterprises, manage overdue payments, and assist enterprises in solving difficulties, continuously optimizing the industrial ecosystem and business environment, promoting the integrated development of state-owned and private enterprises, domestic and foreign capital, and large and small enterprises.

Jiangsu is committed to creating a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. It aims to improve the management and regular promotion mechanisms for key tasks under the "Efficient Completion of One Thing" initiative, deepen the enhancement of a single platform for handling high-frequency grassroots matters, and implement a unified data form for grassroots operations. Furthermore, Jiangsu is advancing mechanisms such as fault tolerance and risk filing to encourage government staff to proactively address the needs and aspirations of businesses, take bold actions, and effectively help enterprises solve problems and promote development, truly embodying the principle of "no disturbance without cause, and immediate response when needed."

Shanxi has implemented multiple measures to promote the construction of a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and internationalized business environment. These include the promotion of a "one-stop" comprehensive service for enterprise-related policies. The province is also improving the government procurement policy function system to foster the development of modern industries. Efforts are being made to strengthen regular communication between the government and enterprises and to enhance services provided to businesses. Additionally, special actions are being carried out to standardize enterprise-related law enforcement, strictly regulate administrative inspections of enterprises, and implement service-oriented law enforcement.

Guizhou has clarified the need to strictly regulate investment promotion activities, properly address existing issues according to laws and regulations, and strengthen the legal and fair competition review of new projects to avoid "involution" competition and "cutthroat" policies. It emphasizes the responsibility of various departments at all levels to ensure the provision of essential elements such as land, energy, and funds for projects, enhance parallel approval processes and division of labor, and improve the quality and efficiency of investment promotion.

Many places draw blueprints for foreign investment cooperation and promote international cooperation in industrial and supply chains

In the year, China's foreign investment and cooperation achieved steady development, continuously deepening practical cooperation with relevant countries and making positive contributions to the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that in the year, China's foreign...