Assistant Minister of Commerce Chong Quan said multinationals were encouraged to strengthen cooperation with their Chinese partners in promoting regional development, technological innovation, outsourcing services, product safety and exercising corporate social responsibility.

Chong said his ministry had named 10 cities where "conditions are mature", the "base cities" of outsourcing services. They are Beijing, Dalian, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Jinan.

By 2010, China's export volume of outsourcing services was expected to double that in 2005, he added. New foreign investment guide

On November 7, China released a new guide of industries open to foreign investment and foreign companies. It also listed those that were banned or restricted from entering the Chinese market.

Foreign investors are invited to join efforts to promote the recycling economy, clean production, renewable energy utilization and ecological environment protection but prohibited from exploiting "important and non-renewable" mineral resources.

The new guide replaced the 2004 version and takes effect on December 1.

Since 1997, China has revised the industry guide for foreign investors on three occasions in hope of channeling foreign investment to serve the needs of industrial restructuring.

The current policies to attract foreign investment were made 28 years ago when China was desperate for investment and foreign currency.

However, the country has been the largest recipient of foreign investment among all developing nations for 15 consecutive years. A 2004 report to the UN Conference on Trade and Development noted the country attracted a per capita foreign investment of US$47, much lower than the US$534 per person that was invested in developed countries and below the world average of US$107.