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BEIJING, Aug. 12-- China's foreign direct investment (FDI) has remained stable in scale and optimized in quality as the business environment has become more attractive, according to industry experts. "Looking at the data for the first half of the year (H1), foreign investors maintained their enthusiasm in the Chinese market," said Huo Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Society for WTO Studies. FDI into the Chinese mainland rose 4.1 percent year on year to 68.32 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2018, according to the Ministry of Commerce. In particular, the number of new overseas-funded companies established in the Chinese mainland during H1 surged 96.6 percent from a year earlier to 29,591. In contrast, the overall situation of global direct investment was not rosy, said Sang Baichuan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics. Quoting data from the World Investment Report 2018 issued in June this year by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Sang said that global FDI flows fell by 23 percent in 2017 to 1.43 trillion U.S. dollars. Foreign investors are investing in a wider range of industries, increasing cooperation, and choosing more varied channels, which shows that China remains an ideal place for investment, said Sang. In H1, FDI in the high-tech manufacturing industry rose 25.3 percent year on year, led by investment growth in medical instruments, communications equipment, and computer and office equipment. | 
