XIAMEN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A supersized market, growing innovation capacity, and policy predictability are creating long-term opportunities and sharpening China's appeal to global investors, said business leaders attending the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade.
The fair opened Tuesday in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, drawing registrations from more than 1,200 government institutions and business delegations from 129 countries and regions, as well as 30 international organizations. Its permanent theme is "Expanding Two-Way Investment, Jointly Facilitating Global Development."
This year's fair features Finland and Saudi Arabia as dual Guest-of-Honor countries for the first time.
"China's rapid development has brought abundant opportunities for Finnish enterprises," said Sakari Puisto, minister of economic affairs of Finland. More than 250 Finnish companies and their subsidiaries currently have a presence in China.
"We look forward to concluding multiple business cooperation deals during this visit," said Puisto.
That confidence was reflected in both long-standing participation at the fair and plans for further investment in China.
This year marks the 23rd consecutive time that AmCham South China has sent a delegation to the fair. The chamber represents more than 2,300 member enterprises, including globally renowned multinationals such as Nike, Johnson & Johnson and Pepsi, and its members account for 40 percent of the total volume of U.S.-China bilateral business, trade and investment.
Over the past 23 years, its member companies have signed new investment agreements worth an average of about 2 billion U.S. dollars each year at the fair.
"China remains a hot destination for investment," said Harley Seyedin, president of AmCham South China.
Citing the chamber's 2026 Special Report on the State of Business in South China, Seyedin said 75 percent of enterprises plan to reinvest in China this year. Member companies are expected to reinvest 13.79 billion dollars in profits generated in China over the next three to five years.
"This is undoubtedly a strong vote of confidence in the resilience and development potential of the Chinese market," Seyedin added.
Data from China's Ministry of Commerce also point to continued foreign investment activity. Nearly 4,800 foreign-funded enterprises made additional investments in China in the first half of 2026. More than 37,700 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in the first seven months, up 4.4 percent year on year, while foreign investment in high-tech industries surged 32.7 percent.
Stephen Phillips, founder and chief executive of CC Global Horizons Limited, said investors see high-potential growth opportunities in many areas of the Chinese economy.
China has made great progress in areas such as life science, robotics and renewable energy, he said, adding that Chinese companies with advanced technologies could help other countries address pressing challenges.
Pointing to China's five-year plans, Phillips said the world is highly unpredictable, yet China stands out for its predictability.
"Consistent policy signals from China deliver a sense of certainty to investors," he added.
Masaharu Nakayama, executive officer of Panasonic Holdings Corporation Group, said that China's ability to innovate and roll out AI applications, paired with Panasonic's technological expertise and global network, together with emerging growth areas like the silver economy, creates tremendous opportunities.
"In our industry, China is among the world's fastest-evolving and most competitive markets. Products forged in this demanding market are globally competitive," he said. "We are delegating more authority to our Chinese entities and ramping up R&D investment, aiming to bring products, technologies and business models refined in China to the rest of the world."
Nan Li Collins, director of the Division on Investment and Enterprise at UN Trade and Development and head of the World Investment Forum, said that China remains a major source and destination of international investment because of the scale of its market, manufacturing capabilities, skilled workforce, technological capacity, and integrated supply chains.
"China's continued opening-up, together with its efforts to foster fair competition, improve the business environment, support innovation and advance the green and digital transitions, can create further opportunities for domestic and international investors," she said.
Seyedin also voiced confidence in the long-term prospects of doing business in China, saying that view is widely shared among the chamber's members, which regard China as a preferred destination for long-term investment.
"The future is bright, and we will remain part of China's economy for a very long time to come," Seyedin said. ■
