Foreign businesses explore Qinghai's opening up, investment opportunities

Qinghai province in northwest China is stepping up efforts to expand high-level opening up and foster a more internationalized business environment, as it seeks to attract foreign investment and deepen cooperation in sectors including clean energy, green computing, salt lake chemicals and ecotourism.

The province hosted the Foreign-Invested Enterprises Tour in Qinghai from Aug. 25 to 26, bringing together representatives from more than 30 foreign trade promotion agencies and chambers of commerce in China, as well as 60 senior executives from Chinese and foreign companies.

The event, jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the People's Government of Qinghai Province, featured government-business dialogues, investment promotion meetings and enterprise visits.

The Government-Business Dialogue and Investment Promotion event takes place in Xining, Qinghai province, Aug. 26, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

"Qinghai has accelerated its opening up in recent years, with its international circle of friends now extending to 155 countries and 25 international sister-city relationships," said Luo Dongchuan, governor of Qinghai province, during the Government-Business Dialogue and Investment Promotion event hosted on Aug. 26. Looking ahead, Luo said Qinghai would further align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, improve its foreign investment service system and provide stronger institutional and legal support for foreign companies.

"Qinghai's natural scenery, ecological tourism resources, green electricity, green computing and AI, as well as its wind, solar and hydropower-related industries, are all full of investment opportunities," noted Ren Hongbin, chairman of the CCPIT. He said the visit would help foreign companies gain a deeper understanding of Qinghai's resource advantages, industrial development and future plans, adding that he was confident they could find new opportunities for growth in the province.

As investment opportunities grow, Qinghai is working to provide a more favorable business environment. Jeon Taek-gyu, chief representative of the Chungnam Economic Promotion Agency (South Korea) Shanghai Representative Office, said he was impressed by Qinghai's focus on investment promotion and full-lifecycle services for businesses.

"For Korean companies, policy stability, transparency and predictability are more important than preferential policies," Jeon said, calling for stronger coordination in areas such as approvals, land, energy and talent, as well as support in finding suitable local partners.

For companies already exploring Qinghai, the visit is helping turn broad interest into concrete cooperation. Zhao Xiangang, director of Aladdin Holdings Group, said the company was closely connecting with local firms in new energy, new materials and chemicals, and planned to visit industrial parks and downstream customers to refine its investment plans.

Vice President of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Lu Haiqing noted that the company hoped to explore opportunities in Qinghai's international ecotourism sector and bring international experience and service standards to the province. 

"We came here to gain a firsthand understanding of Qinghai's development," Lu said.

With its expanding global connections, emerging industries and improving business environment, Qinghai is looking to turn growing interest from foreign businesses into deeper and more substantive cooperation. As Luo put it, "Choosing Qinghai means embracing opportunities, and investing in Qinghai means investing in the future."