HEFEI - Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang Wednesday called for a more open environment for foreign investment in Central China.

Opening to the outside world is one of the most important practices of promoting the development in Central China, Wang said in the keynote speech at the tenth Central China Investment and Trade Exposition.

In the past decade, Central China has seen its economy grow substantially, its industrial structure optimized and its market more accessible to foreign investment. These changes have led to coordinated development in the region's economy, offering tremendous business opportunities for foreign enterprises, according to Wang.

"More efforts should be made to nurture enterprises that have overseas business and to build pilot free trade zones and economic and technological development zones," Wang said.

Wang also stressed creating a business environment which is international, convenient and ruled by law.

Wang said foreign investment is an integral part of the Chinese economy. No matter how the international situation changes, China remains steadfast in its strategies of opening up to foreign capital, safeguarding the legal rights and interests of foreign investors and providing better services for them.