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Global Times: Why does China still need foreign investment?

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BEIJING, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “I’ve noticed that a new action plan to stabilize foreign investment has been introduced this year. After more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, China’s domestic market entities have grown strong. Why do we still need foreign investment?” This is a question that a reader of people.cn posted.

This reader’s question is representative. The answer can be found in three sets of data.

First, as of now, foreign investors have established a cumulative total of 1.24 million enterprises in China, with investments nearing $3 trillion. Foreign-funded enterprises have long been an integral part of China’s high-quality development, contributing one-quarter of industrial added value, one-seventh of tax revenue, and creating over 30 million jobs, making significant contributions to China’s economic growth.

Second, foreign investment in China spans 20 industry categories and 115 major industry sectors. In the manufacturing sector, all 31 major categories and 548 subcategories have attracted foreign investment.

China is the only country with all industrial categories listed by the United Nations, and foreign investment has played a pivotal role. Over the past decade, investment in research and development by foreign-funded industrial enterprises above a designated scale in China has grown by 86.4 percent, and the number of effective invention patents has surged by 336 percent. The advanced technologies and management expertise brought by foreign enterprises have positively influenced the development of Chinese companies and talent cultivation, providing substantial support for building a modern industrial system.

Third, foreign-funded enterprises contribute to one-third of China’s imports and exports. The negative list for foreign investment access has been reduced from an initial 190 items to the current national version of 29 items and the free trade zone version of 27 items, with the manufacturing sector achieving a “zero” negative list.

In accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, foreign investment serves as a bridge connecting domestic and international dual circulation. On one hand, it promotes factor-flow-based openness, driving the cross-border flow of technology, products, and services through supply chains, enabling China to deeply engage in global industrial division and cooperation. On the other hand, it supports institutional openness, advancing institutional reforms in economic, technological, ecological, and other areas.

“All of this shows that foreign businesses are important participants in the Chinese modernization drive, in the country’s reform and opening up and innovation, and in its interconnectivity with the world and integration into economic globalization.”

In fact, the question “Why does China still need foreign investment?” is not new.

In 1979, China enacted a law on Chinese-foreign equity joint ventures, opening the door to foreign investment. At that time, some argued that introducing foreign capital would hinder the development of domestic industries.

Over the past 40 years, a consensus has emerged: Reform and opening-up have enabled China to rapidly integrate into the global market and keep pace with the times, with the active utilization of foreign investment being a key factor.

Opening door wider 

In recent years, global unilateralism and protectionism have intensified, with foreign investment in China increasingly disrupted by geopolitical factors. Some have claimed that “China does not welcome foreign investment.”

“Humankind is a community with a shared future.” “Openness brings progress while closing the door can only leave one behind.” China’s commitment to reform and opening-up remains unwavering, its doors of openness will only widen, and its policy of welcoming foreign investment has not changed and will not change.

China’s pace of opening up to the world has never slowed.

The action plan to stabilize foreign investment in 2025 further proposes 20 policy initiatives building upon the existing 24 measures for attracting foreign capital. 

Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Commerce has held an “Invest in China” policy briefing in Japan and organized related events in Sweden and the UK, significantly boosting the willingness of relevant countries to invest and cooperate with China.

In early 2025, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade dispatched 107 delegations to visit 33 countries and regions, visiting corporate headquarters such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Bosch.

How sincere is China’s commitment to opening-up? Foreign enterprises have the most say—At the China Development Forum 2025, 86 official representatives from multinational corporations from 21 countries and regions participated. According to the 2025 China Business Climate Survey Report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, nearly 70 percent of surveyed US consumer firms plan to increase their investments in China this year.

From January to March 2025, China established 12,603 new foreign-invested enterprises, a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Actual foreign investment in e-commerce services, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, aerospace and equipment manufacturing, and medical equipment and instrument manufacturing grew by 100.5 percent, 63.8 percent, 42.5 percent, and 12.4 percent, respectively. By region, actual investment from ASEAN rose by 56.2 percent, and from the EU increased by 11.7 percent.

Wang Peng, associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the data reflected the firm confidence and sustained commitment of foreign companies to the Chinese market.

China’s economy is on a sustained upward trajectory, with a vast and expanding market, providing foreign investors with broad market opportunities and reliable returns. Moreover, the Chinese government has implemented a series of proactive measures to attract foreign capital, continuously optimizing the business environment and providing policy support, offering robust guarantees for foreign investors, Wang said.

“Partnering with China will bring more opportunities. No matter how the external environment may evolve, China remains firmly committed to high-standard opening up and always welcomes companies from all countries to keep investing in China and explore the Chinese market to enjoy benefits and development together,” Mao Ning, spokesperson from China’s Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on March 13, 2025.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1334660.shtml

 

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SOURCE Global Times

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Terracon and Brickeye Form Strategic Partnership to De-Risk Mass Concrete Across the U.S.

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Partnership combines one of the nation’s leading engineering and materials testing firms with proven in-place concrete monitoring

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Terracon, one of the nation’s leading geotechnical engineering and materials testing firms, and Brickeye, the construction risk intelligence company behind LumiCon®, announced a strategic partnership to change how mass concrete risk is managed on U.S. projects. Together, the companies will offer project teams technical assurance on concrete from preconstruction risk assessment through the final pour and reporting.

The partnership pairs Terracon’s engineering consulting and field-testing expertise with Brickeye’s LumiCon monitoring services. Terracon has more than 140 accredited laboratories, operated by one of the country’s largest workforces of materials professionals and technicians. Brickeye’s expertise includes real-time monitoring of more than 100,000 concrete pours across 4,500+ projects.

Mass concrete presents some of the most difficult-to-detect thermal risks in construction. On large placements, including bridges and dams as well as major transportation and energy infrastructure, temperature differentials can crack an element from the inside long before anything that may show on the surface. That damage can lead to costly rework, delays, litigation, and insurance claims. Yet risk assessment, testing, and monitoring are still often handled by separate providers working from separate data.

Terracon and Brickeye will deliver one integrated package that combines engineering consulting, materials testing, and continuous in-place concrete monitoring. The two companies will also build new preconstruction concrete de-risking offerings spanning software, construction insurance technology, and engineering services, ultimately reducing risk and delivering better project outcomes.

“The insight from decades of real-world concrete monitoring data, backed by Terracon’s engineering expertise and consulting leadership, will continue to advance our concrete de-risking software and intelligence solutions,” said Tim Angus, CEO of Brickeye.

Through this agreement, Brickeye has also acquired COMMAND Center™, Terracon’s concrete temperature and maturity system. Welcoming COMMAND Center into the Brickeye portfolio expands one of the most robust concrete sensing and software platforms in the global construction industry. Combining decades of domain expertise, this move establishes the largest historical database of completed projects of any concrete intelligence company in the U.S. LumiCon and COMMAND Center will also expand U.S. manufacturing of advanced concrete monitoring products to support federal and national heavy civil and infrastructure projects.

The combined deployment includes more than 750,000 sensors in all 50 states and more than 25 countries, representing millions of unique data points and the richest set of embedded concrete performance data in the world, according to Angus.

“Terracon’s partnership with Brickeye represents a strategic relationship that will provide U.S. clients with comprehensive concrete consulting, data, and effective tools to add greater certainty and validate concrete quality during preconstruction,” said Gayle Packer, chair, president and CEO of Terracon. “We’re excited to continue advancing solutions for our industry clients and partners.”

COMMAND Center joins Brickeye

COMMAND Center was originally developed in 2003 for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It has since been used on thousands of projects, placing more than 560,000 sensors in concrete across highways, bridges, airfields, and other structures in more than 24 countries.

Customers now have the backing of Brickeye’s global team, including software development and customer support, for faster product updates and more field support.

COMMAND Center sensors are built in the U.S., giving Brickeye an American-made product line and a domestic manufacturing base for LumiCon products.

“Our customers will reach the same people, at the same number, and get the same best-in-class service and technical support they’ve come to rely on. What changes is what we can now do for them. Joining forces with Brickeye unlocks a comprehensive suite of concrete technology services, reinforcing the value we deliver for our long-standing customers,” said Matt Pittman, Director of Business Operations, COMMAND Center.

About Brickeye

Brickeye is a leader in construction IoT and job site risk mitigation, trusted by top-tier owners, developers, contractors, and insurers in more than 20 countries. Its real-time alerts, automated risk controls, and post-construction insights help clients protect project margins, keep schedules on track, and reduce insurance costs. Learn more at brickeye.com.

About Terracon

Terracon is an employee-owned, multidiscipline consulting firm of more than 8,000 curious minds focused on solving engineering and technical challenges from more than 200 locations nationwide. Explore with us by visiting terracon.com.

About COMMAND Center

Based in Austin, Texas, COMMAND Center is an established temperature monitoring system for early-age concrete, used for thermal control in mass placements, cold weather concreting, and strength estimation. Learn more at commandcenterconcrete.com.

Media Contact
Alena Sheina, Director of Marketing, Brickeye
608-217-6113
426679@email4pr.com 

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SOURCE Brickeye

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Supermetrics Launches Campaign Manager, Bringing AI-Powered Insights and Campaign Execution Together

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New AI-powered capabilities help marketers move from answers to action across advertising platforms, with trusted data, human oversight and control over campaign decisions

HELSINKI, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Supermetrics, the marketing intelligence platform powering more than 200,000 businesses, today announced the launch of Campaign Manager, a new solution designed to help marketers bridge the gap between understanding campaign performance and taking action with AI. By bringing cross-platform performance marketing data and campaign actions into AI chats, Supermetrics is helping businesses turn AI marketing recommendations into optimization actions with a simple in-chat approval.

For years, marketers have relied on increasingly sophisticated tools to understand campaign performance, yet acting on those insights often remains a fragmented, manual process. Teams must navigate multiple advertising platforms, reconcile disconnected data and translate recommendations into campaign changes, losing time and slowing their ability to respond to campaign issues and changing performance marketing priorities.

Campaign Management addresses this challenge by connecting marketing intelligence directly to campaign execution. Built on Supermetrics’ established data infrastructure, the solution combines trusted, connected marketing data with AI-powered workflows, so marketers can identify opportunities, evaluate recommended changes and take action across advertising channels from whichever AI solution they currently use.

 “There’s pressure on every marketing team to put AI to work, but not everyone is starting from the same place,” said Anssi Rusi, CEO of Supermetrics. “Some are still getting their data connected. Others are already using tools like Claude to analyze performance and work out what to do next. For those teams, the question is, ‘Why do I have to leave this conversation to make the change?’ That’s who we’re building Campaign Management for. They want to act on the recommendations where they’re already working, while staying in control of what happens to their campaigns.”

From Marketing Intelligence to Intelligent Action

Campaign Management represents the next step in Supermetrics’ evolution from marketing data integration to AI-powered marketing intelligence and execution.

Rather than relying on isolated, platform-specific recommendations, Campaign Management is designed to help marketers make decisions informed by a broader view of their marketing performance and business priorities.

The solution introduces capabilities designed to help marketing teams:

Connect insights to execution: Move from identifying campaign performance opportunities to implementing changes through connected workflows, reducing the manual steps between analysis and action.Manage campaigns across platforms: Work across supported advertising channels through a more unified experience, reducing the need to move between individual ad platforms.Make AI recommendations more relevant: Ground AI-powered analysis and recommendations in connected marketing data and business context, helping teams make decisions aligned with their objectives.Maintain human oversight and control: Apply configurable approvals, permissions and budget guardrails to campaign actions, keeping marketers in control of how AI-supported recommendations are executed.Improve transparency and accountability: Maintain visibility into campaign changes and actions through logging and oversight capabilities.

Premier Cru Solutions, a six-person digital marketing agency serving premium and luxury wineries, is already saving around 30% of its time using Supermetrics Campaign Management and Supermetrics for Claude. The team builds, restructures and optimizes Google Ads and Meta campaigns from one chat, directing the saved time toward deeper client analysis. In one Google Search rebuild, the agency completed a campaign build estimated at 14 hours in two hours, before final fine-tuning.

“Getting our data into Claude with Supermetrics changed how we analyze,” said Matthew Thompson, Founder and Head of Growth at Premier Cru Solutions. “Campaign Management is changing how we work. We find the problem and make the fix across Google and Meta from the same chat, and every change gets checked before it goes live. A Search build we estimated at 14 hours, took two. We aren’t using that time to take on more clients. We’re using the time and richer data to give our clients answers they may have never had before.”

Building a More Connected Advertising Ecosystem

As advertising becomes increasingly complex, marketers need solutions that bring together data, intelligence and execution across the platforms where their campaigns operate.

Supermetrics’ Campaign Management can manage campaigns across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, Microsoft Advertising,TikTok, Snapchat and ChatGPT Ads, reflecting the growing importance of trusted data connectivity and more actionable marketing intelligence.

“Snapchat is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes reach new customers and drive growth. Our partnership with Supermetrics helps advertisers turn insights into action with the AI tools they already use, simplifying campaign management and making it easier to drive better results.” – Alfie Villanueva Brandt, Senior Manager, Ad Product Partnerships, Snapchat

“At Microsoft Advertising, we believe AI has the ability to make marketing simpler, more connected and more actionable. Together with partners like Supermetrics, we’re helping marketers turn trusted, connected data into better decisions and faster action, while keeping them in control” said Jason McKay, VP Partnerships, Microsoft Advertising.

“Agentic AI is transforming marketing and it requires an interconnected ecosystem for marketers to realize its full potential. The TikTok MCP Server enables developers and platforms to build AI solutions that connect seamlessly with TikTok, helping reduce complexity, move faster, and drive real business outcomes” said David Kaufman, Global Head of Monetization Product Partnerships, TikTok

The Next Chapter of AI-Powered Marketing

The introduction of Campaign Management builds on Supermetrics’ broader investment in making marketing data more accessible, actionable and AI-ready.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in marketing workflows, the challenge for organizations is shifting from simply accessing information to ensuring AI-driven recommendations are grounded in reliable data, relevant business context and appropriate human oversight.

With Campaign Management, Supermetrics is extending its role beyond helping marketers understand performance to helping them act on that understanding.

The launch also builds on Supermetrics’ recent advancements in AI-powered marketing workflows, including its integration with Claude, reinforcing the company’s vision of a more connected marketing ecosystem in which AI can support the full journey from data analysis to informed action.

“AI will only be as valuable as the data and context behind it,” added Rusi. “The future of marketing isn’t about handing every decision over to AI. It’s about giving marketers the intelligence, confidence and control to act at the speed their businesses demand. Campaign Management is an important step toward making that future a reality.”

About Supermetrics
Supermetrics is the Marketing Intelligence Platform that helps marketers bring together data from unlimited marketing and sales sources, get answers they can trust, and act on them directly from their preferred AI chat tool. More than 200,000 businesses worldwide use Supermetrics, including TBWA, Dentsu, Dyson, Heineken, AirFrance, Levi’s and Deloitte. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Supermetrics has 350 employees across Europe, Asia and North America.

Media Contact:
Lauren Warble
(502) 298-5862
426668@email4pr.com 

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SOURCE Supermetrics

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Biozen Cuts Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement Time by 40% While Maintaining Accuracy

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Prospective validation demonstrates clinical-grade accuracy with substantially shorter measurements with the BP2000.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Biozen, LLC has made clinically accurate blood pressure measurement even faster, without a traditional cuff or calibration.

At the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago, Biozen Chief Scientific Officer Omer Inan, PhD, presented new research on the company’s BP2000, a next-generation version of the FDA-cleared BP1000.

The latest iteration reduces average measurement time by 40% while maintaining accurate systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements.

The findings were supported by a prospective clinical study involving 85 participants and 255 measurements, using a validation protocol based on ISO 81060-2:2018.

Faster measurement times make accurate blood pressure monitoring more practical and convenient for everyday use, bringing clinical-grade measurement closer to becoming a seamless part of everyday life.

“FDA clearance of our first device was a milestone, not the finish line,” said Dikran Tourian, Chief Executive Officer of Biozen. “We’ve established the foundation. Now we’re focused on how far we can take this technology.”

“Speed means little without accuracy,” said Inan. “We’ve reduced measurement time by 40% while preserving the accuracy that defines our technology.”

Biozen’s proprietary platform is engineered for integration across wearables, smartphones and connected health technologies, positioning the company to bring clinical-grade blood pressure measurement beyond standalone devices.

About Biozen

Redefining how the world measures blood pressure.

Biozen is a privately held digital health company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with research and development in Atlanta, Georgia. The company’s cuffless blood pressure platform — protected by more than 68 granted U.S. and international patents — integrates advanced biosensors with proprietary algorithms to deliver calibration-free, clinical-grade blood pressure readings at the fingertip.

Note: BP2000 is an investigational device. Limited by Federal law to investigational use. 

For more information, visit biozen.com.

Media Contact

Ashley Wilson
aw@biozen.com
+1 405-413-5201

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SOURCE Biozen, LLC

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