China's appeal to global investors remained robust in January, with new foreign-invested enterprises surging and high-tech industries continuing to draw significant capital, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce.
A total of 5,306 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide in January, representing a 25.5-percent year-on-year increase. Actual utilization of foreign capital reached 92 billion yuan (about 13.4 billion U.S. dollars), underscoring sustained international confidence in China's business environment.
High-tech industries emerged as a key growth driver. Actual utilization of foreign capital in the sector was over 33.7 billion yuan (about 4.9 billion U.S. dollars), a 0.6-percent annual rise and accounting for 36.7 percent of the national total -- up 2.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
Investment inflows from several major economies accelerated notably. German companies increased their actual investment in China by 86.6 percent year on year, while that by Swiss and Singaporean investors gained 57.4 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively.
China attracts strong foreign investment in January, led by high-tech sector
China attracts strong foreign investment in January, led by high-tech sector
Iranians have gathered at Tehran's Enghelab Square on Sunday in support of the government after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday.
The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.
"It is our duty as a people to preserve calm and unity, and we must be strong — and we are. Our sorrow is for ourselves, because the Leader has achieved his wish: martyrdom on this path. The armed forces must respond to this act in the most forceful and powerful way possible and avenge this blood," said Minoo, a protester.
"We are in deep mourning, but this heavy grief does not mean we have become weak. Rather, it makes us, the people, more resilient in the face of Iran's enemies," said Fatemeh, another protester.
"The Supreme Leader was like a father to us, and it feels as though we have lost our own father. We call on the armed forces to give a decisive response to this aggression," said Pooya, a local resident.
On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region.
Several Iranian senior officials, including Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were also killed in the strike.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.
Iranians mourn supreme leader's death, vow solidarity
