Southwest China's Yunnan Province attracted more than 20 billion yuan (about US$2.5 billion) of overseas investment in 2005, an increase of 28 percent over the previous year, according to sources with the provincial economy cooperation office.

An official with the office said the major sources of investors are from more than 10 countries and regions of Asia, Europe, and north America, with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as the main investors.

More domestic enterprises have also chosen Yunnan as their "bridgehead" to explore markets in east Asia in the past five years, with enterprises from Beijing municipality, and Sichuan, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces standing as the top five.

Investment of most domestic enterprises has concentrated on hydropower, coal, pharmacy, mechanics, and tourism.

Yunnan Province targets at utilizing US$1.3 billion of overseas investment in the 11th Five-Year-Guideline period (2006-2010), and it will also introduce 105 billion yuan (about US$13 billion) of domestic investment.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2006)