Official from the Department of Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation introduced China’s outward investment and economic cooperation in January-February on March 14, 2018.

In January-February 2018, the Chinese investors made non-financial direct investment in 1,429 overseas enterprises across 135 countries and regions, with a total investment amount of US$ 16.82 billion, up 25.2% year on year. That has realized a year-on-year positive growth for four months in a row. The turnover value of contracted projects were US$19.65 billion, up 17.2% year on year, and the newly-signed contract value was US$30.63 billion, up 22.3% year on year. A number of 54,000 laborers have been dispatched for foreign labor service and cooperation. By the end of February, the number of laborers dispatched reached 963,000, an increase of 55,000 year on year.

The official said the outward investment and cooperation in the first two months presented the following characteristics:

1.Investment and cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road route were positively promoted. In January-February, Chinese enterprises made new investment in 50 countries along the Belt and Road route with an investment amount of US$2.15 billion, up 20.1% year on year, taking up 12.8% of the total amount over the same period of time. The value of contracted projects in 61 countries along the Belt and Road route registered US$13.34 billion, taking up 43.6% of the total over the same period of time, up 17.3% year on year. The turnover amounted to US$10.68 billion, taking up 54.4% of the total over the same period of time, up 36.2% year on year.

2. Industrial structures of outward investment were constantly optimized and irrational investment was effectively controlled. In January-February, the outward investment mainly flew into mining, lease and commercial service, manufacturing and information transmission, software and information technology service, taking up 25.9%, 17.8%, 16.3% and 8.0% respectively. There were no newly-added projects in real estate, sports and entertainment sectors.

3. Eastern China was the main force for outbound investment and that from western China increased. In January-February, the outbound investment by ten provinces and cities from eastern China amounted to US$7.45 billion, up 23.1% year on year, taking up 72.4% of the outbound investment by companies in local provinces. The investment by western China registered US$1.59 billion, up 69.1% year on year. Provinces and cities along the Yangtze River Delta Economic Belt made an outbound investment of US$4.51 billion, up 46.4% year on year, taking up 26.8% of the total national FDI and 43.8% of outbound investment by local provinces.

4. Newly-signed major contracted projects increased, leading exports remarkably. In January-February, the number of contracted projects with a contract value above US$50 million reached 90, with a total value of US$26.44 billion, taking up 86.3% of the total value. Cargo exports led by overseas contracted projects registered US$2.85 billion, up 19.5% year on year.

According to the statistics, in January-February, the number of Chinese-invested enterprises approved by authorities registered 1,207 with an investment value of US$18.93 billion.

Moving forward, we will comprehensively implement the spirits of the 19th CPC National Congress under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and accord with the Work Report of the Government to carry out the idea of new development, innovate modes of foreign investment, and optimize investment structures led by the Belt and Road construction so as to enhance high-quality development of foreign investment.