Chinese embassy in the UK refutes media reports on foreign investment as 'biased'

A spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the UK on Monday refuted the media reports by "certain British media" on foreign investment in China, calling them "biased" with a "lack of profession and preciseness."

The spokesperson explained further via various data released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. The data shows that in 2023, China's actual use of foreign direct investment stands at $163.3 billion, the third highest in history after 2021 and 2022.

There were 53,766 newly established foreign-invested enterprises across the country, seeing a year-on-year increase of 39.7 percent. High-tech industries account for 37.4 percent among the foreign investment, refreshing the record in history.

Meanwhile, businesses from countries such as France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Switzerland continue to increase their investment in China, with actual investment increasing by 84.1 percent, 81.0 percent, 31.5 percent, and 21.4 percent respectively in 2023.

The spokesperson also pointed out that in recent years, the world has faced impacts such as the COVID-19 pandemic, turbulent monetary policies of the developed entities, and a complicated global political situation, which have led to more fluctuations in the foreign direct investment around the globe.

It is unreasonable to reach the conclusion of "foreign investment is escaping China" by the figures of a single year without considering such fluctuations.

As China's economy warms up, China, as the only country with all industrial categories, will continue to provide full support for businesses with strong industrial structures and integration capabilities as well as high-quality labor forces, said the spokesperson.

In terms of consumption, China is market that cannot be easily ignored, has vowed to accelerate its opening-up policies, and is confident of attracting more foreign investment, he said.