Gov't to release foreign investment guidelines

China has a robust investment environment and the government will issue new guidelines regarding foreign investment on April 14, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on April 10 at the 2010 Boao Forum for Asia.

In 2009, amid the most severe global financial crisis since World War II, cross-border investment dipped 40 percent worldwide, but foreign direct investment into China only dropped 3 percent compared with the previous year.

"This demonstrates that China's investment environment and its markets are generally healthy," Zhang said.

He noted that China welcomes foreign investment that will facilitate the transformation of China's economic development and make the best of China's comparative advantage in labor-intensive industries as well as foreign investment in hi-tech and services sectors.

"However, foreign investment that over-consumes energy and resources or cause pollution won't be welcome any more," he emphasized.

Zhang disclosed at the forum that the NDRC, along with the press and commerce authorities, will issue new guidelines aimed at attracting foreign investment more actively and more efficiently on Wednesday.

By People's Daily Online