On October 22, 2021, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) promulgated the Development Plan for the Utilization of Foreign Capital during the 14th Five-Year Period. The plan has attracted wide attention from investors and scholars at home and abroad. The global economic recovery is full of unpredictable challenges due to the spread of Covid-19, so absorbing foreign investment is critical to the economic development in most countries. The plan was based on the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Outline of Long-term Objectives for 2035. China is changing the direction of attracting investment from manufacturing industry to service industry. This article discusses China’s current utilization of foreign capital and analyzes the newly promulgated plan, including its key features, overall objectives, and basic tasks. It also examines the opportunities and challenges China faces in its future utilization of foreign capital.

The Foreign Investment Law of the People’s Republic of China has attracted great attention worldwide since its adoption on March 15, 2019, and will come into force on January 1, 2020. This law can be regarded as the most important law of China in the field of foreign investment since China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. The legislation process of the foreign investment law of the People’s Republic of China has expressed the strong will of the Chinese legislature in amending and perfecting the legal system. The implementation of this law will positively impact the future investment environment of China. This article analyses the background and evolution of the legislation procedure, the highlights and features of the law compared with earlier related laws in the field of foreign investment of China, and the impact and insufficiency of the law, together with the issues following the implementation of the law.