(Combating New Crown Pneumonia) Ministry of Commerce: China's actual use of foreign capital in January-February was 13.44 billion yuan, down 8.6% year-on-year
China News Agency, Beijing, March 13th (Reporter Li Yanan) At the press conference on the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council on the 13th, Zong Changqing, director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that China's actual use of foreign investment in January-February was 134.4 billion yuan. Renminbi, a year-on-year decrease of 8.6% (US $ 19.42 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 10.4%), was mainly due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
He introduced that in January, the actual use of foreign capital in the month was 87.57 billion yuan, an increase of 4% year-on-year; in February, the actual use of foreign capital in the month was 46.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 25.6%. The main reason for absorbing foreign investment from rising to falling was due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, which was superimposed on the Spring Festival holiday, resulting in poor flow of people and logistics, large-scale business shutdowns and production suspensions, limited investment activities, and investors waiting to wait and see.
From a structural point of view, China's absorption of foreign investment in January-February has three positive performances: First, the high-tech industry has maintained growth. From January to February, the actual use of foreign investment in the high-tech industry was 41.52 billion yuan, an increase of 2.2% year-on-year, of which the actual use of foreign investment in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, medical equipment and instrument manufacturing industry, information services, and e-commerce services increased by 6.7% year-on-year. , 139.7%, 30.5%, and 449.8%. Second, outstanding performance of key open platforms. Foreign investment in the Shanghai and Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zones increased by 13% and 12.8%, while Hainan, Fujian, and Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zones increased foreign investment by 230.2%, 149.5%, and 140%. Third, investment from some economies in China has grown steadily. Investment in China by the countries along the “Belt and Road” and ASEAN increased by 9.7% and 15.1%, respectively.
Zong Changqing pointed out that in recent years, China has continuously expanded its opening up and continued to optimize the business environment. Against the background of the continuous decline in global FDI, China's use of foreign investment has continued to rise without rising, rising against the trend, and steadily ranking itself as the world's second largest attracting investment country. However, at the same time, a report released by UNCTAD recently predicted that due to the epidemic, global FDI will decline for the fifth consecutive year this year, with a decline of roughly 5% to 15%. The global FDI cake is shrinking, competition for foreign investment is intensifying, and the downward pressure on the world economy is increasing. This year, the situation of China's use of foreign capital is more complicated and arduous. The task of stabilizing foreign investment throughout the year is very difficult.
He emphasized that, overall, China ’s long-term basic economic development trend will not change, the strong magnetic attraction of China ’s huge market size will not change, and China ’s comprehensive competitive advantages in terms of industrial support, human resources, and infrastructure will not change. The expectations and confidence of foreign investors for long-term investment and operation in China will not change. (Finish)