Shanghai certified 30 new regional headquarters of multinational corporations and 15 research and development centres funded by overseas entities on Wednesday, a sign of continued interest in the Chinese financial hub despite an overall decline in the country’s foreign direct investment. The ceremony was hosted by the city’s mayor, Gong Zheng, with eight companies on the Fortune 500 list.
Shanghai certified 30 new regional headquarters of multinational corporations and 15 research and development centres funded by overseas entities on Wednesday in a ceremony hosted by the city’s mayor, Gong Zheng, according to a statement from the municipal government’s commerce commission. Of the companies certified this week, eight are on the Fortune 500 list. As of last month, Shanghai hosts a cumulative 1,084 regional headquarters and 647 R&D centres for overseas companies, positioning it centrally in Chinese authorities’ efforts to entice foreign firms and restore investor confidence. “Shanghai remains one of the preferred destinations for foreign investment and a prime location for multinational corporations in their global industrial and supply chain,” the statement said. Meanwhile, the country’s actual utilised FDI has contracted for three consecutive years, falling 9.5 per cent year on year in 2025 after a 24.7 per cent decline in 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
