Foreign-invested Internet Data Centers
In four pilot areas including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hainan, foreign investors can now wholly own internet data centers (IDC). A UN Trade and Development report shows data centres captured more than one fifth of global greenfield investment in 2025. Data centres emerged as a major force shaping global investment in 2025, according to preliminary data published in a report on 20 January by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Data centre investment is increasingly being directed outside traditional markets, as soaring demand for the power-hungry digital infrastructure leads developers to build capacity in alternative locations with access to plentiful affordable electricity. Ever since China's DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot made headlines in January, the country's cloud computing and internet industries have been racing to develop AI for consumers and businesses, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Within product segments, turnkey hyperscale is preferred by 42%, followed by powered shell by 28%.
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