隨著激勵措施的減少，中國對外國投資者的吸引力下降 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China's pitch to foreign investors falls flat as incentives dwindle (1/2)

Joe Cash

Updated Mon, July 24, 2023 at 4:25 a.m. PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) — China is struggling to revive foreign investment in its financially battered cities and provinces as foreign firms remain wary of political risks and new incentives fall far short of sweeteners once used to attract overseas money.

With their coffers depleted after an economically bruising pandemic and property crisis, local authorities have been racing to find new revenue sources, with foreign investment particularly coveted.

Premier Li Qiang in March declared China open for business again, and since then provinces and cities from Sichuan to Chaozhou have sent delegations across the globe to pitch and invited investors to rare symposiums.

However, foreign industry executives and lobbyists say the incentives many local governments now offer are far less attractive than they were a decade ago, when companies could easily win subsidies or free land use and the regulatory environment seemed more predictable.

"Clearly the China-side is very much getting on the front foot with international engagement," said Kiran Patel, senior director at the China-Britain Business Council. He cited five meetings between their London office and delegations from Chinese local governments in late June.

But "there’s still a lot of work to do in terms of warming up or reheating interest in China," he warned.

The charm offensive contrasts with Beijing's more hawkish overtures about dominance in supply chains and President Xi Jinping's increased focus on national security.

Dollar-denominated foreign direct investment (FDI) fell 5.6% in January-May from the same period last year, despite the end of strict COVID curbs, as the post-pandemic recovery in the world's second-largest economy faltered.

China's Ministry of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment.

(to be continued)

Translation

北京（路透社）- 由於外國公司仍對政治風險保持警惕，而且新的激勵措施遠未達到曾經用來吸引海外資金的甜頭，中國正在努力重振遭受金融重創的城市和省份的外國投資。

在一場由病毒大流行引出的嚴重經濟重創和房地產危機之後，地方當局的國庫已經耗盡，他們一直在競相尋找新的收入來源，其中外國投資尤其令人垂涎。

今年三月，李強總理宣布中國重新開放，此後從四川到潮州等省市紛紛派出代表團到全球各地推介，並邀請投資者參加罕見的研討會。

然而，外國行業高管和遊說者表示，許多地方政府現在提供的激勵措施遠不如十年前有吸引力，當時企業可以輕鬆獲得補貼或免費土地使用，而且監管環境似乎更可預測。

英中貿易協會高級主任 Kiran Patel 表示： “顯然，中方在國際參與方面處於領先地位。” 他列舉了英中貿易協會倫敦辦事處與中國地方政府代表團於六月下旬舉行的五次會議。 。

但他警告說: “在升溫或重新激發人們對中國的興趣方面，還有很多工作要做” 。

這種魅力攻勢與北京在供應鍊主導地位方面表現出更強硬的姿態, 以及習近平主席對國家安全的日益關注形成鮮明對比。

儘管嚴格的新冠疫情限制措施已經結束，但由於世界第二大經濟體的疫情后復甦步履蹣跚，1-5月以美元計價的外國直接投資（FDI）仍較去年同期下降了5.6%。

中國商務部沒有回應置評請求。

（待續）