China to remain secure, promising destination for foreign investment: spokesperson

China

China to remain secure, promising destination for foreign investment: spokesperson

2026-03-04 14:39 Last Updated At：03-05 00:27

China has been and will remain an ideal, secure and promising destination for foreign investment, while the country remains committed to expanding opening-up, safeguarding the rules-based multilateral trading system, and sharing opportunities with the world, a Chinese spokesman said Wednesday.

Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing, one day ahead of the opening of the annual session of the NPC, the country's national legislature.

Lou outlined how in spite of various global headwinds in recent years, China has maintained its standing as a top destination for foreign trade and investment.

"Only through opening up can China achieve modernization. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China accounted for over 14 percent of global exports. It has been the world's largest trader in goods for nine years in a row and also a leader in service trade and two-way investment. Accumulated actual use of foreign investment exceeded 700 billion U.S. dollars. In 2025, the high tech industries received nearly one-third of foreign investment," he said.

Lou also noted that over the past year, China has held the 8th China International Import Expo, launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port and introduced a series of policies and measures to stabilize foreign investment, further advancing high-level opening up.

"China's economy has pressed forward against headwinds toward innovation-driven and high-quality development. A key factor is that China boasts the world's largest manufacturing system by scale and with the most complete industrial categories, making it a crucial link in global industrial and supply chains," he said.

"China has a huge consumer market and, in the next 10-plus years, the middle income group in China could exceed 800 million people. It is the best application scenario for the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. China has a steadfast commitment to opening-up as a basic national policy and a transparent, stable and predictable policy environment. China was, is and will be an ideal, secure and promising destination for foreign investment," said the spokesman.

Lou also highlighted the goals during the country's new 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period -- a key blueprint mapping out the country's socioeconomic development priorities following the conclusion of the previous five-year cycle -- with a continued emphasis on fostering an open and rules-based trade environment.

"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will continue to expand institutional opening up, safeguard the multilateral trading system, broaden two-way investment cooperation and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, share opportunities and create a shared future with all nations. The NPC Standing Committee will work to make the foreign related legal system more open and transparent, help foster a top notch business environment that is market oriented, law-based and internationalized. We will also continually cement the legal foundation for high-standard opening up," he said.

Lou was speaking shortly before the beginning of the "two sessions", a major event in China's political calendar, which refers to the annual meetings of the NPC, China's highest organ of state power, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.

The meetings have gathered thousands of national lawmakers and political advisors from across the country to the Chinese capital.

15th Five-Year Plan to guide China's development, benefit world: scholars

China's 15th Five-Year Plan proposal sends a strong signal of the country's commitment to upholding openness and cooperation, which will promote further development for the country and the world, said officials and scholars around the world.

The draft 15th Five-Year Plan, the blueprint that will guide the world's second-largest economy from 2026 to 2030, is central to steer China to move toward modernization amid technological disruption, demographic shifts and an increasingly fractured global order, according to the scholars.

"China's 15th Five-Year Plan is not a rigid model; it is more like benchmarks for growth targets and focal points. Chinese economists and economic decision-makers are not just focusing on qualitative growth, but also on innovative development. We're witnessing new transportation methods, robotics and artificial intelligence," said Andrey Denisov, first deputy chair of Russia's Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Russian Ambassador to China.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan is of great importance to China's development. The country is poised to make remarkable advancements in various sectors, including artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing and infrastructure construction. Given the shifting global context and China's transition towards high-quality development, I am confident that this plan will herald a new era for China's development," said Kamel Mansari, news director of the French-language daily Le Jeune Independent.

Scholars also noted that China's commitment to high-quality development and high-level opening-up will promote win-win results and benefit the world.

"China has emerged as a key partner for most countries worldwide, and a preferred partner due to its closeness and integration with global communities, as well as its strong humanitarian perspective. The Chinese economy has not only benefited itself; it has helped many economies worldwide flourish through its partnerships," said Dirgham Muhammad Ali, an Iraqi economic expert.

China's National People's Congress (NPC) is scheduled to open in Beijing on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to approve the 15th Five-Year Plan.