The number of overseas-invested enterprises in China has risen for three consecutive years to surpass 530,000, with total accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) exceeding 3.6 trillion U.S. dollars, data released by the Ministry of Commerce showed on Saturday.
The data underscores sustained confidence among overseas investors in the Chinese market. In 2025, more than 8,000 overseas enterprises increased their investment in China, rising over 10 percent year on year, while more than 3,000 overseas firms increased their investment in the first four months of 2026.
During the January-April period, 20,113 new overseas-invested firms were established across the country, up 6.8 percent year on year. The actual use of FDI totaled 287.69 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars) during the same period, down 10.3 percent from the previous year.
High-tech industries bucked the overall trend, attracting 116.33 billion yuan in foreign investment, a surge of 20.3 percent year on year, and accounting for 40.4 percent of the national total.
Investment from Luxembourg, Switzerland, France and the United States into the Chinese mainland increased by 110.3 percent, 60.8 percent, 58.3 percent and 24.5 percent year on year, respectively, according to the data.
The ministry said it has held five roundtable meetings with foreign enterprises this year, helping resolve more than 180 complaints and concerns via regular dialogue channels.
Overseas-invested enterprises top 530,000 in China
A search and rescue operation came to a close Thursday for a cargo ship fire at a shipyard in Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, after all the 25 individuals initially reported to be missing were located and confirmed dead.
The fire broke out at around 11:15 when the ship was undergoing maintenance at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., according to the municipal fire and rescue bureau.
A total of 42 people were aboard the ship. Twelve were safely evacuated, and five injured individuals were taken to the hospital, where they are in stable condition.
The blaze was extinguished at around 14:30.
Emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and medical departments were immediately mobilized to carry out search and rescue operations following the accident.
"Inside the cabin, it was extremely hot, and very slippery because the hot steam had melted all the old and accumulated grease and grime," said Hao Xiang, a firefighter.
In the burn unit of Qingdao West Coast New Area Central Hospital, two injured patients are receiving treatment. They sustained minor burns to the face and upper limbs and are in stable condition, according to an attending doctor.
"Upon admission of the patients injured in the accident, we immediately conducted a comprehensive checkup on them and identified their injury to be a mild burn. We provided them with burn dressing changes, antibiotics to prevent infection, and rapid fluid replacement, among other treatments," said Wang Guangjun, director of the Department of Hepatobiliary, Thyroid and Breast Burn Surgery under the Qingdao West Coast New Area Central Hospital.
The cause of the accident is now under investigation.
Rescue concludes after 25 confirmed dead in cargo ship fire in east China
