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On April 17, the Shenzhen Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau hosted a roundtable and policy briefing for multinational headquarters companies. Shenzhen set up about 16,000 new foreign-invested enterprises in 2025, up 63.3%, and has certified more than 200 multinational headquarters.
Overview
On April 17, 2026, the Shenzhen Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau hosted the 2026 Shenzhen Multinational Corporate Headquarters Roundtable and Policy Briefing. According to a report published on the Shenzhen government website on April 20, the meeting was designed to create a regular channel of communication between government and business, strengthen services for foreign-invested enterprises and promote links along industrial supply chains. Huang Xiaoyu, deputy director of the bureau, gave the opening remarks, and officials from the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau held face-to-face discussions and answered questions from companies.
Figures presented alongside the meeting show that Shenzhen set up about 16,000 new foreign-invested enterprises in 2025, up 63.3% year on year and the highest among China's large and medium-sized cities. Actual use of foreign investment reached 50.48 billion yuan, up 14.4%, ranking second among Chinese cities. Shenzhen has certified more than 200 multinational headquarters in total, and more than 340 Fortune Global 500 companies have a presence in the city.
Background
Shenzhen has been working to attract regional headquarters of multinational companies and has expanded the group step by step through a certification system. According to local media in January 2026, the city had certified 207 multinational headquarters by then, including 21 in its 11th batch. At the same time, it released draft rules on the selection of headquarters projects and the supply of land for them, and invited public comment.
At the national level, stabilising and making good use of foreign investment is an important policy priority. Shenzhen is one of the areas carrying out comprehensive pilot policies on foreign investment and wider opening of the services sector. The roundtable served both to explain these policies directly to companies and to hear their concerns.
Key points
- Policy briefing: Officials explained Shenzhen's comprehensive pilot policy on foreign investment and the expansion of opening-up in the services sector. Talent support, industrial development and subsidy policies were also discussed.
- Company views: AI company SenseTime, a Shenzhen multinational headquarters enterprise, said it has built a full system in the city covering research, application and operations, serving as a core hub for South China, the Greater Bay Area, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and that it plans to increase AI research investment in Shenzhen. Kohn Intelligent Supply Chain said it would keep expanding investment, strengthen its southern headquarters and build a high-end logistics and assembly centre.
- Direct dialogue: Departments responsible for development, public security and housing answered questions directly, including practical issues related to talent and living conditions.
- Next steps for the mechanism: The city said it would improve the "dual-channel" roundtable mechanism for foreign-invested enterprises and the system for fast handling of company requests, and deepen its campaign to bring services directly to foreign companies.
| Indicator (2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| New foreign-invested enterprises | About 16,000 (up 63.3%) |
| Actual use of foreign investment | 50.48 billion yuan (up 14.4%) |
| Certified multinational headquarters (cumulative) | More than 200 |
| Fortune Global 500 companies present | More than 340 |
What it means for Japan–Shenzhen exchange
The report does not mention whether Japanese companies took part. However, many Japanese companies operate in Shenzhen in fields such as electronic components, precision equipment, trading and logistics. The headquarters certification system and policy briefings of this kind may serve as a useful source of information for Japanese companies considering stronger regional management functions in South China.
The format, in which departments dealing with talent, entry and exit, and housing answer questions directly, also appears to have practical value for companies with foreign staff. Attention is turning to which service sectors will be opened further and how far. For Shenzhen companies, closer supply-chain links with foreign-invested firms may widen their access to overseas markets and technology.
Outlook
Shenzhen says it will continue certifying multinational headquarters. The specific content of any new support measures and the timetable for opening individual service sectors were not set out in the report and remain to be announced.
From the Association
The Association will continue to follow developments in Shenzhen's foreign-investment policy and business environment. We aim to share useful information with our members and to keep providing a platform for exchange between companies in Shenzhen and Japan.
This article is based on publicly available information and is provided for reference only; accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed.