High-end Manufacturing Favored

A report from China Daily Mar. 20th, 2026：

An automatic inspection line for electronic components in a factory in Jingjiang, East China's Jiangsu province, on March 18. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's latest roll-out of major foreign-funded projects is expected to steer more investment toward high-end manufacturing and modern services while boosting investor confidence, underscoring policymakers' commitment to institutional opening-up and a more attractive investment climate, experts said on Thursday.

Their comments came after the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, unveiled a new batch of 13 major foreign-funded projects recently, with planned investment totaling $13.4 billion.

The NDRC said the newly unveiled projects are concentrated in manufacturing, spanning sectors such as electronics, chemicals, automobiles and electrical machinery.

Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said the projects will help reinforce industrial clustering, support the shift toward higher-end and smarter manufacturing, and provide fresh momentum for improving the quality and efficiency of the real economy.

Notably, logistics projects were included in the list for the first time, while continued support will be given to research and development centers in sectors such as biomedicine, the commission added.

Bai Wenxi, vice-chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Union, said the addition of logistics projects points to a clearer policy push for deeper integration between manufacturing and services.

Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, echoed this view, saying the latest policy arrangement points to a structural shift in China's approach to attracting foreign investment, with the focus moving from traditional services toward producer services.

"China will prioritize the services sector in its next steps to expand market access and opening-up, and further trim the negative list for foreign investment," said Chen Lei, director general of the NDRC's department of development planning.

Latest data from the top economic regulator showed that cumulative investment in such major foreign-funded projects has reached $108 billion, underscoring strong demonstration and spillover effects in attracting foreign capital.

Meanwhile, policy support for foreign investment has gained further momentum. A new edition of the Catalog of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment came into effect in February, directing more foreign capital toward advanced manufacturing, modern services, high technology, energy conservation and environmental protection.

Looking ahead, efforts should be made to improve the business environment, expand institutional opening-up and better unlock China's vast market potential, said Lou Feipeng, a researcher at Postal Savings Bank of China.