Businesswoman Tatun Sofia (left) becomes the 10,000th foreign resident in Yiwu to enroll in China's basic medical insurance program on Dec 17, 2025. [Photo/Jinhua Media Group]

Yiwu, a county-level city under Jinhua in Zhejiang province, currently hosts more than 11,000 foreign-invested entities from over 160 countries and regions, according to official statistics.

Since the beginning of 2025, Yiwu has recorded an average daily presence of more than 30,000 foreign businesspeople. The city began attracting foreign investment in the late 1980s, and its efforts to cultivate foreign-invested entities have remained at the forefront nationwide.

In 2024, Yiwu rolled out a reform known as the "one-stop startup service" for foreign entrepreneurs, providing integrated support that includes factory leasing, policy consultation, and talent recruitment. The initiative has helped smooth the transition for foreign traders seeking to expand into manufacturing.

Today, Yiwu is home to more than 11,000 active foreign-invested entities operating across 14 sectors, including trade brokerage, wholesale and retail, and catering.

According to local market regulators, registration timelines for foreign-invested entities have been shortened from a statutory 15 working days to one working day, with simplified cases processed on the spot.