Shanghai is home to more MNCs

China Daily Website| March 19, 2026
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​​Lujiazui, the financial center in Shanghai. [Photo/VCG]

Shanghai has consolidated its position as a first-rate foreign investment destination through certifying 30 regional headquarters of multinational corporations and 15 research and development centers on March 18, according to official sources.

A vast majority of the companies certified are from industries including biomedicine, integrated circuits, high-end equipment, automobiles, as well as fashion and consumer goods. Among them, there are four regional headquarters of the Asia-Pacific region, and one global R&D center, according to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

More than 6,300 new foreign-funded enterprises built presence in Shanghai throughout last year, up 6.8 percent year-on-year, and the actual use of foreign capital exceeded $16 billion, making the city one of the most attractive cities and a highly preferred place for multinational companies to deploy the global supply chain and industrial chain.

In 2025 alone, 60 multinational corporations' regional headquarters and 45 foreign-funded R&D centers were newly identified, making Shanghai house 1,084 multinational corporations' regional headquarters and 647 foreign-funded R&D centers as of February.

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