Nation called on to expand opening-up, further propel innovation, new tech use

A safe haven for foreign investors seeking predictable market opportunities at a difficult time amid the COVID-19 pandemic, China will remain a top destination for foreign investment despite various challenges such as rising competition from other emerging markets and a probable pullback of economic stimulus in developed countries, said experts and business leaders.

In order to increase its attractiveness to foreign investors, they said, the nation must expand opening-up and further propel innovation and the application of new technologies.

Their comments came as the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 14.9 percent year-on-year to a record high of 1.15 trillion yuan last year.

In US dollar terms, the inflow went up 20.2 percent year-on-year to $173.48 billion, the ministry said.

Moreover, the annual growth rate of foreign investment in high-tech industries reached 17.1 percent last year, while it grew by 10.7 percent in high-tech manufacturing and 19.2 percent in the high-tech services sector.

Foreign investment in the services sector exceeded 906 billion yuan in 2021, up 16.7 percent year-on-year.

"With effective control of COVID-19, China's stable industrial and supply chains and its expanding domestic market will consolidate foreign investors' confidence," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

"Its rapid pace of urbanization, industrial upgrading and domestic market expansion amid the pursuit of high-level opening-up will continue to create more market opportunities for foreign investors," Zhou added.

Allan Gabor, president of Merck China and managing director of Merck Electronics China, said foreign businesses, including his company, have profited greatly from China's growth, and all three of Merck's business sectors — electronics, healthcare and life sciences — will continue to invest in China.

China is already the strongest growth driver and the second-largest sales market globally for Merck, he said, adding that the company has a strong focus on cooperation with Chinese partners and local innovation in all of its businesses.

Huo Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, said the Central Economic Work Conference in December, which outlined key economic policy priorities for 2022, again showed China's determination to expand high-level opening-up and establish a unified, transparent and law-abiding domestic market which meets international standards.

As more measures to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors under the framework of laws and regulations are expected, China will become even more competitive in terms of attracting foreign investment, he said.

However, outside factors are increasingly affecting the growth momentum of foreign investment inflows to China, and the nation needs to ramp up efforts to cope with the situation, analysts said.

As the pandemic evolves, foreign investors are likely to have more options if economic recovery occurs in more countries and the layout of global industrial and supply chains is adjusted, according to Zhou from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

As investors go where they can generate profits, Zhou said that China is expected to continue to create stable and favorable conditions for the application of new technologies and products, including a supportive regulatory and financing environment.

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記者：劉志華

播報：Corrie Knight

音頻編輯：萬月英

【背景閱讀】

2021年實際使用外資金額11493.6億元 我國吸收外資規(guī)模再創(chuàng)新高

經(jīng)濟(jì)日報北京1月13日訊 商務(wù)部發(fā)布的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示，2021年，全國實際使用外資金額11493.6億元，同比增長14.9%，引資規(guī)模再創(chuàng)新高。在13日舉行的例行新聞發(fā)布會上，商務(wù)部新聞發(fā)言人束玨婷表示，2021年，商務(wù)部會同各地方各有關(guān)部門，圍繞“六穩(wěn)”“六保”和“穩(wěn)住外貿(mào)外資基本盤”部署，扎實推進(jìn)穩(wěn)外資各項工作，圓滿完成全年穩(wěn)外資工作任務(wù)，成效好于預(yù)期。

從引資結(jié)構(gòu)看，高技術(shù)產(chǎn)業(yè)和服務(wù)業(yè)引資增長較快。高技術(shù)產(chǎn)業(yè)實際使用外資同比增長17.1%，其中高技術(shù)制造業(yè)增長10.7%，高技術(shù)服務(wù)業(yè)增長19.2%。服務(wù)業(yè)實際使用外資金額9064.9億元，同比增長16.7%。

從投資來源地看，“一帶一路”沿線國家和東盟投資增長較快，實際投資同比分別增長29.4%和29%（含通過自由港投資數(shù)據(jù)），高于全國引資增速。

從區(qū)域分布看，我國東部、中部、西部地區(qū)實際使用外資同比分別增長14.6%、20.5%和14.2%。

2022年，商務(wù)部將繼續(xù)推動吸收外資穩(wěn)總量、優(yōu)結(jié)構(gòu)、提質(zhì)量，更加積極有效利用外資。一方面，落實好2021年版全國和自貿(mào)試驗區(qū)外資準(zhǔn)入負(fù)面清單，督促加快配套法規(guī)文件“立改廢”，保障“非禁即入”。修訂擴(kuò)大《鼓勵外商投資產(chǎn)業(yè)目錄》，引導(dǎo)外資更多投向先進(jìn)制造、現(xiàn)代服務(wù)、高新技術(shù)、節(jié)能環(huán)保、綠色低碳、數(shù)字經(jīng)濟(jì)等新興領(lǐng)域和中西部地區(qū)。

另一方面，建設(shè)好自由貿(mào)易港、自貿(mào)試驗區(qū)、國家級經(jīng)開區(qū)、服務(wù)業(yè)擴(kuò)大開放綜合示范試點(diǎn)地區(qū)等平臺，發(fā)揮營商環(huán)境和制度型開放優(yōu)勢，吸引更多外資項目落地。辦好進(jìn)博會、廣交會、服貿(mào)會、消博會、投洽會等重大經(jīng)貿(mào)展會，加大招商引資力度。

同時，發(fā)揮外貿(mào)外資協(xié)調(diào)機(jī)制及其重點(diǎn)外資項目工作專班作用，完善重點(diǎn)外資企業(yè)和項目“直通車”一對一跟蹤服務(wù)機(jī)制，推動協(xié)調(diào)解決人員入境等企業(yè)關(guān)切的問題。會同有關(guān)部門加大新項目要素保障力度，推動項目加快落地和建設(shè)。

“我們將繼續(xù)致力于打造市場化、法治化、國際化的營商環(huán)境，使中國長期成為外商投資的熱土。”束玨婷表示，要進(jìn)一步優(yōu)化外商投資環(huán)境，全面清理與外商投資法及其實施條例不符的規(guī)定，落實外資企業(yè)公平待遇。充分發(fā)揮外資企業(yè)投訴工作機(jī)制作用，加大外商投資合法權(quán)益保護(hù)力度，穩(wěn)定外國投資者對華投資的預(yù)期和信心。（來源：經(jīng)濟(jì)日報）

責(zé)任編輯：錢耐安