As a pivotal province for China's open economy and foreign investment, Guangdong saw its actually utilized foreign capital grow by 8.8% year-on-year to 78.13 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2025, as reported at a press conference on October 22.
So far, Guangdong has established over 360,000 foreign-invested enterprises and utilized more than USD 600 billion in actual foreign capital.
The foreign investment growth rate in Guangdong is leading the nation. From January to September, the province saw the establishment of 24,000 new foreign-invested enterprises, a year-on-year increase of 33.7%. Actual utilized foreign capital reached 78.13 billion yuan, up 8.8% year-on-year, positioning Guangdong ahead of other major economic provinces.
Regionally, the Pearl River Delta continued to serve as the main engine, attracting 72.7 billion yuan in actual foreign investment during the period, representing a growth of 12.7%. Notable growth was observed in cities including Jiangmen, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, and Huizhou, all of which achieved double-digit increases. Meanwhile, both Shenzhen and Guangzhou attracted over 20 billion yuan in actual foreign investment. Cities in Eastern, Western, and Northern Guangdong, such as Meizhou, Maoming, and Shantou, achieved multiples of their previous foreign investment levels.
Major foreign investment source regions exhibited strong growth momentum. From January to September, the province attracted 55.84 billion yuan in investment from Hong Kong, an increase of 18.4% year-on-year. Meanwhile, investment from developed countries reached 14.82 billion yuan, with notable growth from the Netherlands (up 10.8 times), France (up 1.7 times), and the United Kingdom (up 60.6%).
Notably, foreign investment in the manufacturing sector grew rapidly. During the first three quarters, the manufacturing sector in Guangdong utilized 23.28 billion yuan in actual foreign capital, a rise of 23.5%, accounting for 29.8% of the province's total foreign investment. Significant growth was seen in industries such as specialized equipment manufacturing, electrical machinery and apparatus manufacturing, and metal products, all of which achieved multiples of their previous foreign investment levels.
In the first three quarters, major projects received a substantial amount of foreign investment. During the same period, Guangdong witnessed 24 large projects, each with actual utilized capital exceeding USD 100 million, an increase of 7 compared to the same period last year. The actual foreign capital involved in these major projects totaled USD 4.5 billion, accounting for over 40% of the province's total foreign investment.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Photo | Nanfang Plus
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
