The 19th Annual Conference of the International Network of Private Business Organizations (INPBO) opened on Tuesday in Haikou, capital of China's southernmost province of Hainan.

The two-day conference attracted representatives from about 100 domestic and international enterprises and institutes including General Motors, PSA Peugeot Citro?n, Baoshan Iron and Steel Group, and Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd.?

The conference is entitled, "Foreign Investment in China".

Discussion topics included foreign investment and China's economic development, foreign investment policies in the context of China's opening drive, international oil prices and China's industrial strategies, China's environment for foreign investment and financial service innovation, and financial stability and the opening of China's financial sector.

The conference was co-sponsored by the China (Hainan) Reform and Development Institute, the Hainan provincial government, and the Chinese Association of Entrepreneurs.

Established in 1981, the INPBO serves as a platform for exchange and cooperation among business policy research organizations from countries including the United States, Germany, France, and Japan.

The China (Hainan) Reform and Development Institute joined the INPBO in 2002. This is the first time that an INPBO annual conference has been held in China.

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2005)