THE number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises reached 53,766 in 2023 in China, representing a growth of 39.7% year on year, latest data from the Ministry of Commerce showed Friday. The actual foreign direct investment (FDI), which remained at a high level, hit more than 1.13 trillion yuan (US$160 billion), down 8% year on year, according to the data. In terms of sectors, FDI to the manufacturing industry reached 317.92 billion yuan in 2023, down 1.8%, even though high-tech manufacturing registered a 6.5% increase in FDI. The ministry, in a statement, specified that high-tech industries attracted 423.34 billion yuan, accounting for 37.3% of the total amount of FDI last year. Its share in total FDI also expanded by 1.2 percentage points compared with the level in 2022. The actual FDI to the service industry reached 776.08 billion yuan, down 13.4%. In contrast, FDI to the construction sector, as well as R&D and design services, increased by 43.7% and 4.1%, respectively. FDI originating from France, Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia increased by 84.1%, 81%, 31.5%, 21.4% and 17.1%, respectively, according to the data. (Xinhua) | 