China”s High-Tech FDI Surges 35.1% in First Eight Months Despite Overall Investment Drop
Official data released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Friday showed that China saw the establishment of 42,582 new foreign-invested enterprises during the first eight months of this year, representing a 0.3% increase year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the foreign direct investment (FDI) actually utilized in the country reached 479.95 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately $71.66 billion, marking a 5.3% decrease year-on-year.
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The actually utilized foreign investment in the manufacturing sector reached 119.55 billion yuan, compared to 350.42 billion yuan in the services sector.
In the high-tech sector, the actually utilized foreign investment recorded 200.26 billion yuan, surging by 35.1% year-on-year. This accounted for 41.7% of the total actually utilized foreign investment in the country, up 12.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
During the period from January to August, investments originating from France, Switzerland, and South Korea increased by 39.2%, 16.7%, and 16.5% year-on-year, respectively.
Strong Exports
China's exports recorded strong growth in August 2026, driven by global demand for high-tech and artificial intelligence-related products. This has provided crucial support to the Chinese economy at a time when domestic demand and investment continue to face downward pressure.
