Foreign investment guideline for regions revised

China's top economic planning agency has revised its policy guidelines to encourage more foreign investment into the industrial upgrade of the country's central and western regions.

The new guidelines, which will become effective on June 10, include details of favorable policies and incentives being offered in mostly labor-intensive industries and service sectors, according to a statement from the National Development and Reform Commission.

The policies are aimed at exploiting the economic benefits of the unique natural resources and environmental advantages of the regions, the statement said.

The new guidelines have expanded the type of eligible foreign investment being encouraged, and added another 173 key target sectors. They now cover a total of 500 types of sectors, across 22 provinces and regions.

Included on that list are producers of natural mineral water, makers of passenger liners, deep-ocean machinery, and golf kits, as well as developers of leisure agriculture projects, specifically in Hainan province.

The guidelines have been extended to more modern service providers such as those in cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and mobile Internet sectors in Shanxi province, cartoon markers in Heilong-jiang province, and retailers and wholesalers in Shaanxi province.

The vehicle-assembly sector, which was removed in the previous version of the guidelines, has been re-included.

However, the new list strictly prohibits any investment into the industrial transfer of highly polluting and high energy-consuming projects in central and western areas.

The new set of guidelines replaces a previous version issued at the end of 2008, and is the third version since first being introduced in 2000.

"Implementation of these guidelines will expand and improve the quality and use of foreign capital in the regions.

"They will also play a positive role in optimizing the regions' industrial structure," according to the statement.