China's foreign direct investment landscape showed contrasting trends in the first nine months of 2025, as a surge in new foreign-funded enterprises offset a decline in actual use of foreign capital, with high-tech industries emerging as a bright spot.

From January to September, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises climbed 16.2 percent year on year to 48,921, while the actual use of foreign capital fell 10.4 percent to 573.75 billion yuan ($78.7 billion). In September, utilized capital rebounded 11.2 percent year on year.

By sector, manufacturing attracted 150.09 billion yuan, while services attracted 410.93 billion yuan. High-tech industries accounted for 170.84 billion yuan, with e-commerce services soaring 155.2 percent, aircraft and equipment manufacturing up 38.7 percent, and medical equipment production rising 17 percent.

Major source economies boosted investment, with Japan increasing 55.5 percent, the UAE up 48.7 percent, the UK rising 21.1 percent, and Switzerland growing 19.7 percent (including investments via free ports).