15 New Foreign-Focused Industrial Parks Open Across China — Key Takeaways for Global Executives

In the first nine months of 2025, China opened 15 new 外资工业园区 (foreign-focused industrial parks, wàizī gōngyè yuánqū) designed specifically to attract and host foreign-invested enterprises, bringing the total nationwide count of such dedicated zones to 224. These 15 parks represent a combined planned investment of 45 billion RMB, are expected to host over 800 foreign companies within three years, and aim to create 120,000 jobs. This expansion comes at a time when China’s total utilized foreign direct investment fell 14.5% in 2024 year-on-year, signaling a targeted countermeasure to reverse the trend by offering hyper-focused infrastructure, regulatory fast-tracks, and industry clustering for global firms.

The 15 parks cover 12 provinces, with an average developable area of 5.2 square kilometers each. In contrast, the previous wave of 10 specialized parks opened in 2023 covered only 6 provinces and averaged 3.8 square kilometers. The new parks offer tax incentives of up to 30% reduction on corporate income tax for qualifying high-tech foreign firms, compared to the standard 25% rate. Additionally, one-third of these parks are located in inland regions such as Sichuan, Henan, and Shaanxi, marking a shift from China’s traditional coastal industrial concentration.

Overview: A Strategic Shift in Foreign Investment Policy

The 15 new 外资工业园区 are part of China’s broader 稳外资 (stabilizing foreign investment, wěn wàizī) action plan launched in early 2025. Unlike generic industrial parks, each of these zones is curated for foreign enterprises, offering dedicated service centers that handle licensing, customs clearance, and talent recruitment in English. The parks focus on priority industries where China wants to maintain or gain global leadership: electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, biomedicine, green energy, and advanced manufacturing.

The timeline matters: these parks began opening in March 2025, with all 15 operational by September 2025. This is 40% faster than the previous park development cycle in 2023, which took 18 months for 10 parks. The policy urgency stems from declining foreign investment — China’s FDI inflow dropped 14.5% in 2024 to 102.9 billion USD, after years of steady growth. These parks are a high-stakes response.

Key Industries and Specializations Across the New Parks

Each new park targets a distinct industrial niche to create dense supply chains. For instance, the Shenzhen Qianhai Foreign High-Tech Park specializes in AI and semiconductor design, while the Chengdu Biomedicine Foreign-Focused Park emphasizes cell therapy and medical devices. The Suzhou EV Components Park targets electric drivetrain and battery manufacturing. This industry-specific clustering helps foreign companies reduce logistics costs by 15–25% compared to mixed-use parks, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

A notable trend is the inclusion of 碳达峰 (carbon peak, tàn dáfēng) compliance requirements — three parks in Zhejiang and Anhui require all tenants to meet carbon-neutral operational standards by 2030, offering subsidies for green equipment retrofits of up to 5 million RMB per company. This aligns with China’s dual-carbon goals and appeals to ESG-conscious European and Japanese investors.

Regional Distribution and Comparative Economic Impact

Coastal regions host 10 of the 15 parks, still dominant due to port proximity and established supply chains. However, five parks are located inland — a 25% increase in inland representation versus the 2023 park cohort. The inland parks, such as the Xi’an Advanced Manufacturing Park and the Chongqing Green Energy Park, offer labor costs 20% lower than the Yangtze River Delta and land prices 35% cheaper, according to real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield China.

Below is a sample of five representative parks from the new batch:

The table shows clear regional specialization — coastal parks command higher investment but fewer expected companies due to larger per-company space requirements, while inland parks emphasize volume and lower entry cost. For foreign firms, this means a choice between high-capability coastal clusters and cost-efficient inland bases.

Benefits for Foreign Enterprises: What Makes These Parks Different

The 15 new parks offer advantages beyond those available in standard industrial zones. First, a dedicated one-stop service window handles company registration, work permits, and customs filings. Processing times for a 外商独资企业 (wholly foreign-owned enterprise, WFOE, wàishāng dúzī qǐyè) setup within these parks average 10 business days, compared to 25 days outside park boundaries. Second, tax incentives include a three-year corporate income tax exemption followed by a 50% reduction for years four through six, for companies classified as high-tech or strategic emerging industries.

Infrastructure is also differentiated: parks offer integrated testing labs, shared prototyping facilities, and dedicated power substations ensuring stable supply — a critical factor for semiconductor and EV manufacturers. For example, the Suzhou EV Components Park has a dedicated 110 kV substation with a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Foreign companies also gain access to “park-level” visas, allowing expat employees to receive multi-entry work visas valid for three years without annual renewal.

Key Takeaways: Strategic Implications for Global Executives

For foreign companies planning China market entry or expansion, these 15 parks represent a concrete policy commitment. The 45 billion RMB investment signals that local and central governments are willing to co-fund infrastructure, reduce bureaucratic friction, and absorb some operational costs. However, the parks also come with performance requirements — companies must meet minimum investment thresholds (typically 2–5 million USD per park slot) and commit to technology transfer or local R&D partnerships.

Key numbers to internalize: total utilized FDI in parks from previous cohorts grew 18% annually from 2020 to 2024, versus 3% for non-park foreign companies. The 15 new parks could collectively contribute 6.5 billion USD to annual FDI inflows by 2026, reversing declines. For companies in EVs, AI, biomedicine, green energy, and advanced manufacturing, these parks offer the fastest regulatory path and best cost structure in China today.

For executives evaluating their China entry strategy, the timing is favorable: the 15 parks have occupancy rates averaging only 35% as of Q3 2025, meaning prime slots with optimal locations and utility connections are still available. First movers gain negotiation leverage on rent, tax holidays, and customized infrastructure.

NEXT STEPS

1. Evaluate park suitability for your industry: Use our detailed guide on How to Choose the Right Industrial Park for Your China Operations to match your business model with park-specific incentives and infrastructure.
2. Prepare your WFOE registration: If you are not yet incorporated, start the entity setup process within a park to benefit from faster approval times — see Registering a WFOE in China: Step-by-Step Guide for park-specific timelines.
3. Assess tax and incentive packages: Compare the 30% tax reduction and multi-year exemptions across parks by reading Tax Incentives for Foreign Enterprises in China Parks to model your three-year savings.

— China Gateway 360 —
Remote China market entry support, built around execution.