(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)

The 2025 Suzhou Global Investment Promotion Conference opened on April 26, attracting over 1,000 guests, with foreign participants coming from 42 countries and regions. Guests also included representatives from more than 50 trade and investment promotion agencies and overseas business associations.

This is the second consecutive year for Suzhou to host the event. Known for its strong openness, Suzhou has been attracting investment from around the world. For examples, it includes Suzhou Industrial Park, a flagship project of China-Singapore cooperation, and Kunshan, which is emerging as a world-renowned hub for the coffee industry. Taicang and Suzhou New District are also top destinations for German and Japanese investment, respectively.

Compared to 367 projects signed during the inaugural session, this year’s event saw agreements signed for 417 projects, covering sectors such as information technology, high-end equipment, new materials, new energy vehicles, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence.

Currently, Suzhou is home to over 19,000 foreign-invested enterprises. Notably, 178 companies on the Fortune Global 500 list have invested in nearly 500 projects in the city. Suzhou ranks first in Jiangsu Province and among the leading cities nationwide in terms of cumulative actual use of foreign investment.

At the conference, Suzhou launched the Global Industry Innovation Partnership Initiative, inviting enterprises worldwide to collaborate with the city in developing innovative industries.

“We'll further enhance investment and trade facilitation, expand market access, making it easier for foreigners to work and live in the city, and creating a transparent, stable and predictable policy environment to help businesses explore domestic and international markets,” said Liu Xiaotao, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee.