(Yicai Global) April 16 -- Foreign investors have not made large-scale capital withdrawals from China and are unlikely to do so, a spokesperson for the commerce ministry said.

Though the novel coronavirus epidemic has had a definite impact on the operations of overseas firms in China, foreign investors in general remain optimistic and their confidence in and desire for long-term growth in China remain unchanged, Gao Feng said at a news briefing.

Some 72.8 percent of 8,700 core foreign-invested firms surveyed by the ministry were back at 70 percent capacity on April 14. This was a rise of 0.9 percentage point from the previous week.

Already 98 percent of Japan-backed companies in southern China have resumed operations, with 41.4 percent of them now at full capacity and a further 42.8 percent of them operating at between 80 percent and full capacity. Japanese firms in other parts of China are also gradually getting back to work.

Being able to resume production in China so soon has been a great boon for the stable growth of Japanese businesses. Many have expressed their confidence in the Chinese market and their willingness to further invest in the country, Gao added.

China remains a top long-term priority for most US companies with a presence in the country, despite the impact of Covid-19, trade tensions and other issues, according to the latest China Business Climate Survey Report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China in March.

Some 75 percent of the firms that took part in the survey said they will not change their investment plans no matter what the outcome of the epidemic may be.

Editor: Kim Taylor