China continues to see a robust surge in foreign investment, with over 70,000 new foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) established in 2025, as multinational corporations double down on the market’s innovation potential. Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, said that in 2025 the number of new FIEs grew by 19.1% year-on-year. The actual use of foreign capital reached CNY747.69 billion, with high-tech industries accounting for 32.3% of the total. Non-financial outbound direct investment (ODI) reached CNY1 trillion in 2025, up 1.6% year-on-year, while the value of newly signed contracts for overseas projects hit CNY2.1 trillion, an increase of 8.5%. Business leaders said China’s rapid progress in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and biomedicine have captured global attention. The country’s vigorous tech innovation is becoming a core magnet for sustained foreign investment.
Roberta Lipson, Board Member of the U.S.-China Business Council and Founder of United Family Healthcare, said she believes the greatest potential of the Chinese economy lies in leveraging the new economy and innovative achievements to drive industrial development. “We plan to continue to expand our footprint in China,” Lipson said. “For instance, we are currently planning to build a comprehensive international medical park in Beijing.” Oliver Oehms, Chief Representative of the Delegation of Germann Industry and Commerce in Beijing, highlighted significant changes in China’s economy, citing the rapid rise of numerous emerging sectors, particularly high-tech ones. These areas align closely with Germany’s industrial strengths, Oehms said. The Business Confidence Survey 2025/26, released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China on December 2, shows that 93% of German companies have no plans to leave the Chinese market in the next two years. Furthermore, 53% plan to increase their investment over the same period, up 2 percentage points from the previous year. A record 60% of respondents believe Chinese companies will take a leading position in industrial innovation, while 56% plan to further deepen ties with Chinese partners.
Liu Zhengfu, Director of the Department of Development Research at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said that more foreign companies are proving through their actions that “investing in China is investing in the future”, the China Daily reports.
