Beijing's foreign investment saw a significant increase from January to February in 2021, with 224 foreign-invested enterprises newly registered, a year-on-year increase of 25.1 percent. Contractual foreign investment reached USD 6.61 billion, with a 150 percent year-on-year increase. Paid-in foreign investment reached USD 2.7 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 32.7 percent. Investment in further opening up key areas of the service sector accounted for 80 percent of the pie, further highlighting the guiding and driving effects brought by the development of the "two zones".

Since the building of the "two zones" started, Beijing has carried out pilots in multiple sectors and taken bolder steps in attracting additional foreign investment. For instance, Beijing has taken the lead in implementing fiscal and tax-related policies such as preferential tax treatment for incomes from technology transfer and from equity transfer of corporate venture capital companies. Landing of original and iconic heavyweights in the financial sector are expedited.

Legal environment has been notably improved to ensure the ruling of law, as the financial court is formally inaugurated, and pathway has been further clarified for well-known overseas arbitration and dispute resolution to do business in the city.

In addition, first case has concluded for the pilot of cash-pooling service integrating local and foreign currency management, and breakthrough has been made in multiple sectors regarding authentication of overseas professional qualifications.

Beijing has utilized its policy advantages and focused on service optimization to take the initiative in implementing key projects. Transnational groups such as Seragon Pharmaceuticals, the world's leading enterprise in R&D of innovative drugs, and SMC, a world-renowned corporation in pneumatic component R&D and manufacturing, have set up their regional headquarters in Beijing. The capital city has also seen successive registration of the first wholly foreign-funded currency brokerage company, the first foreign-owned holding licensed payment company, and the first international investment of Renminbi loan fund in China.

In terms of the origins of foreign investment, from January to February, paid-in investment from Hong Kong reached USD 2.22 billion, a year-on-year increase of 37.9 percent, accounting for 82.2 percent of the total figure of the city. The paid-in investment from South Korea, the United States and Singapore saw year-on-year increases of 107,180 percent, 4,340 percent and 490 percent respectively.

(Note: Content source is from Beijing Daily.)