BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Countries around the world are welcome to seize the opportunities in China, share in China's development dividends, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.
Guo made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on the recent moves by a number of foreign enterprises which announced to increase their input in China.
Foreign enterprises' increased investment in China once again demonstrates the mutually beneficial nature of the economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries, Guo said.
In the first 11 months of 2024, more than 50,000 foreign-invested enterprises were newly established in China, a year-on-year increase of 8.9 percent. In the past five years, the returns on direct investment in China by foreign investors stood at about 9 percent, ranking among the top in the world.
The steady growth of China's economy and the continuous expansion of high-standard opening up are the greatest sources of confidence for foreign investors to increase their stake in China, said the spokesperson. Since 2024, China has reduced the restrictions on the national negative list for foreign investment access to 29 items, eliminated all access restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, fully implemented the national treatment for foreign enterprises, and continuously improved the business environment.
Guo said that the Central Economic Work Conference has made a series of arrangements for steadily expanding institutional opening up and deepening the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanism, which has provided foreign enterprises with broader space to grow and stronger confidence in China. In their global investment outlooks for 2025, multiple foreign investment institutions remain optimistic about the Chinese market.
"Investing in China is investing in the future. We welcome countries around the world to seize the opportunities in China, share in China's development dividends, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes," Guo said. ■