East China's Jiangsu Province invested US$37.3 million in contracts setting up 31 enterprises and offices abroad during the first three quarters of the year, according to the local statistics bureau.

The businesses include 15 trade companies involving US$6.62 million in contractual investment and 16 non-trade ones costing 30.68 million dollars in total.

By the end of September, the province had funded 486 enterprises and representative offices overseas, using a combined US$300 million in contractual investment, including US$260 million for 294 non-trade companies.

The local money has gone to more than 70 countries and regions, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Russia, in areas of machinery, electronics, metal products, light industry, engineering projects, and after-sale services.

(China Daily December 6, 2003)