A view of the central business district in Beijing, China. (Photo: VCG)

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has released a revised draft of the administrative measures for outbound investment for public comment, aiming to better balance development and security in outbound investment.

The draft updates the 2017 administrative measures for outbound investment by enterprises in response to rapid growth and significant changes in the external environment.

The new measures further affirm the principal role of various investors. They also introduce reporting systems for major adverse events, large overseas reinvestment projects, and project completion status, aiming to better protect outbound investment rights and interests and help investors guard against overseas risks.

The NDRC will further improve the draft based on public feedback and draft supporting documents and FAQs in order to better safeguard the balancing of development and security in outbound investment at the institutional level, according to the commission.

China's outbound direct investment across all industries reached 596.42 billion yuan (about 86.53 billion U.S. dollars) during the first six months of 2026, representing an increase of 3.8 percent year on year, official data showed.

China's domestic investors engaged in non-financial direct investment in 6,867 overseas companies across 144 countries and regions, with the investment value totaling 453.06 billion yuan, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

China should expand the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation, according to a July 30 meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The meeting emphasized the need to improve the management system for outbound investment and strengthen comprehensive overseas service systems, while continuing efforts to actively attract and utilize foreign investment.