BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China registered robust growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) in high-tech industries during the first eight months of the year, despite a decline in overall inflows, official data showed on Friday.
During this period, FDI in high-tech industries surged 35.1 percent to 200.26 billion yuan (about 29.66 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 41.7 percent of the national total, a rise of 12.4 percentage points from a year earlier, the Ministry of Commerce said.
A total of 42,582 new foreign-invested enterprises were set up, an increase of 0.3 percent year on year, while FDI in actual use came in at 479.95 billion yuan, down 5.3 percent from the previous year.
By sector, the manufacturing industry attracted 119.55 billion yuan in FDI, while the service sector drew 350.42 billion yuan.
Specifically, FDI in R&D and design services, services for the commercialization of sci-tech achievements, and electronic and telecommunications equipment manufacturing jumped 74 percent, 64.2 percent and 41.9 percent, respectively.
The rising ability to attract foreign investment in high-tech industries reflects a fundamental shift in the factors driving China's appeal to global capital -- from "cost-driven" to "innovation-driven," said Zhang Xiaotao, director of the International Investment Research Center at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Zhang attributed this increasing appeal to high-caliber R&D talent, complete industrial supporting facilities and efficient supply chains, as well as China's efforts in cultivating emerging industries.
According to a national conference on advanced manufacturing held in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, China must treat the development of advanced manufacturing as a major strategic task, and press steadily to boost its strength in manufacturing.
Next-generation intelligent manufacturing should serve as the primary direction, with greater emphasis on digital and intelligent empowerment, high-end manufacturing and self-reliance, green and low-carbon development, and cross-sector integration, it added.
Additionally, in June, China unveiled a 15-measure action plan to stabilize and optimize foreign investment utilization, focusing on expanding market access, streamlining investment procedures, boosting investment promotion, strengthening services and safeguards for foreign investors, and improving foreign capital management.
A new version of the Catalog of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, which took effect on Feb. 1 this year, aims to steer more foreign capital into advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech industries, energy conservation and environmental protection, as well as into the central, western and northeastern regions of the country.
During the first eight months of 2026, actual investment from France, Switzerland and the Republic of Korea (ROK) grew by 39.2 percent, 16.7 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively, with investment via free ports included in these calculations.
This year has seen frequent investment moves by foreign companies in China's high-end manufacturing sector. Semiconductor equipment maker STI from the ROK is building a semiconductor manufacturing base in Guangzhou in south China, with a total investment of approximately 12.4 billion yuan, while German automotive parts giant Schaeffler is pouring an additional 1 billion yuan into a humanoid robotics factory in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Chen Jianwei, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said that multinationals are confirming the irreplaceable position of the Chinese market in the global value chain with substantial investment.
"It is expected that the proportion of foreign investment in high-tech industries will continue to rise, with R&D centers and regional headquarters accelerating their aggregation in China," he added. ■
