A view of Lujiazui, Shanghai Photo: VCG

Foreign-funded enterprises are making successive moves in the Chinese market as the new year begins, with many increasing their investments or having new facilities in the planning stage. Amid China's rapid industrial upgrading and the robust development of new quality productive forces, multinationals are increasingly pivoting toward high-tech sectors and premium services, while China's vast open market continues to offer opportunities for the world, analysts said.

One of the latest examples is the German chain of retail stores Müller Ltd. & Co. KG, which recently announced plans to open its first Asian store in Shanghai in the fourth quarter of 2026.

As a group with more than 957 stores in Europe, Müller sees this flagship as a "door opener" to the Chinese market, according to a release from Shanghai's Pudong New Area.

"We have entered the site selection process and plan to launch the first Asian store in the fourth quarter of 2026, with further expansion to downtown Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta, and nationwide," said Chu Tongzhou, Müller's China head, according to the release.

The group aims to open 200-500 stores in China within five years. "Pudong's full-cycle services have been deeply impressive, providing comprehensive support in site selection and staffing," said Chu.

Universal Beijing Resort will grandly launch its Universal's Chinese New Year seasonal event from January 23 to March 3. This unique festive feast interprets traditional Chinese New Year flavors through an international theme park experience, according to a statement sent by Universal Beijing Resort to the Global Times.

Apart from new facilities or activities, some previously announced projects by foreign enterprises are projected to begin operations in 2026.

Lexus in June 2025 broke ground on its first overseas new-energy vehicle production base in Shanghai. It is scheduled for completion in August 2026 and production in August 2027, with an initial annual capacity of 100,000 units, according to announcements by the company and the Shanghai municipal 

UK-based consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser Group broke ground on a new global research and development science and innovation center in Shanghai in January 2025, committing more than 300 million yuan ($41 million) to the project. Scheduled to become operational in 2026, the facility is designed to drive faster innovation and fuel the company's expansion across the Chinese market.

China's continued high-level opening-up, including the full removal of foreign investment restrictions in manufacturing, sends a clear and positive signal to foreign investors, Zhu Zhiyun, general manager of Hainan Zambon Pharmaceutical Co (Zambon China), a subsidiary of Italy-based Zambon Group, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"We have seen improvements in regulatory transparency, policy stability, and government support for foreign-invested enterprises. Overall, China's business environment has become more mature and predictable, which is conducive to long-term development," said Zhu.

Zambon China was among the first companies to ship goods through the port in Haikou, capital of South China's Hainan Province, on December 18, 2025, the first day of the island-wide independent customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the Global Times learned.

For foreign pharmaceutical companies, the island-wide special customs operations will enhance supply chain efficiency, accelerate the introduction of innovative products, and strengthen global connectivity. 

"We remain optimistic about Hainan's potential in the healthcare sector and are willing to continue supporting the FTP's development," said Zhu.

A recent KPMG report on the outlook for multinational companies (MNCs) in China revealed that nearly 70 percent of 137 surveyed executives are at least moderately confident in their three- to five-year growth prospects in China. Also, 94 percent are still investing in China.

The report also found that MNCs have greater confidence in the Chinese economy than in the global economy in both the short and medium term.

Experts said that foreign companies' firm confidence in investing in China promises more win-win opportunities, injecting greater momentum into global economic growth.

China has made efforts to fulfill its commitment to further expand opening-up, and share development dividends with the rest of the world, Li Yong, executive council member at the China Society for WTO Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"Furthermore, China's ongoing measures to ease foreign investment access will bolster investor confidence and foster a more predictable and sustainable business environment for foreign companies operating in the country," said Li.

Li also pointed out that the magnitude of China's market will secure the growth trajectory of foreign-funded enterprises through their access to the country's huge market.

Meanwhile, analysts said that surging foreign investment is closely tied to China's complete industrial system advantages, with foreign capital flowing into high-tech industries.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, in the first 11 months of 2025, actual foreign direct investment in medical instruments and equipment manufacturing surged by 46.5 percent year-on-year, and that in aerospace equipment rose by 41.9 percent.