Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated at the recently-held first China economic annual conference that in 2009, Chinese enterprises' non-financial overseas investment reached the highest level. The areas of resources, energy, high technologies and advanced manufacturing will be still the highlight of Chinese enterprises' overseas investment in 2010.

Zhang introduced that based on the preliminary statistics of the NDRC, the contracted investment in the non-financial overseas investment projects above designed size amounted to USD49b in 2009. On January 15, the Ministry of Commerce released that in 2009, total non-financial overseas investment stood at USD43.3b, up 6.5% from the previous year, to the highest level. Zhang said in 2009, Chinese economic overseas investment was featured with the following: firstly, energy and resources manufacturing were the key areas of investment, accounting for about 83% in Chinese contracted investment, with remarkable achievements gained both in important mining industries of iron, copper and zinc and such industries as advanced equipment manufacturing, new materials and auto parts and components. Secondly, overseas acquisition was the most important mode of Chinese enterprises in overseas investment, accounting for roughly 61% in Chinese contracted investment, up 36 percentage points compared with 2008. And thirdly, Chinese enterprises accumulated more overseas investment cooperation experience, with the international operation level gradually improved. In accordance with the initial statistics, 8 ones reached agreements in 9 items of investment negotiation on average among the overseas investment of medium and large-sized mining industries during 2008-2009.