Extensive 'Invest in China' plan in '26

China will continue to expand high-level opening-up and steadily advance institutional opening-up, officials said on Monday, as the Investment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Commerce unveiled an extensive program of domestic and overseas promotion activities for 2026.

The Chinese and Foreign Investment Promotion Agencies Conference, hosted by Investment Promotion Agency in Beijing, is part of China's effort to enhance the global profile of the "Invest in China" through a mix of high-profile exhibitions and targeted industry dialogues.

At the 2026 Foreign Investment Promotion Exchange Meeting, a parallel meeting of the event, Zhu Wenlong, director of the Department of Domestic Relations at Investment Promotion Agency, said the agency organized more than 100 investment promotion activities in 2025, serving more than 80 localities and facilitating exchanges among hundreds of enterprises, chambers of commerce and institutions.

For 2026 — the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period — Zhu said the agency has preliminarily planned around 80 promotion activities, designed to bridge global investors with local Chinese markets.

Exhibitions will play a leading role in 2026, Zhu said, adding that the centerpiece of this effort will be the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, a landmark expo for "Invest in China".

To better coordinate cross-border resources, the agency established a new overseas business department. Key engagements in its 2026 calendar include the Hannover Messe and the 10th Sino-German Automotive Conference.

The renewed push for investment comes as China continues to streamline market access. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China's total import and export volume of goods grew by 3.8 percent in 2025.

China has also removed all foreign-investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector and shortened the negative list for foreign investment, making the market more accessible to overseas companies.

Despite a complex global environment, multinational corporations at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to the Chinese market, citing the stability of the supply chain and improved government services.

Consumer health giant Haleon highlighted its deepening localization strategy. "Our confidence in the Chinese market has never wavered," said Fu Yue, head of corporate affairs for the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong at Haleon. Fu pointed to the company's full acquisition of its Tianjin joint venture and an agreement to expand production in Suzhou. He credited the "service-oriented government" and a transparent regulatory environment as key drivers for their continued reinvestment.

International business chambers acknowledged the improvements in the business environment while outlining evolving strategies.

The US-China Business Council welcomed the clear policy signals on market access. The council's vice-president Zhang Lipei noted that the domestic product standard guidelines, issued in September 2025, have bolstered confidence among foreign firms with significant local manufacturing footprints. Zhang expressed hope for continued transparency in public procurement and export control mechanisms to ensure a predictable operating environment.

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn