XIAMEN - China will maintain prominent advantages in the investment environment in the long, but foreseeable future, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said Thursday.

As one of the world's largest markets, China is implementing its strategy of increasing domestic demand, creating huge opportunities for foreign investors, Chen told a forum held at the 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) which opened Wednesday in China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen.

China's comprehensive industrial facilities and infrastructures, abundant human resources as well as close links to the outside world offer investors staunch support, he said.

He also said that China is challenged by a series of new problems, including environmental and resources restrictions as well as rising labor costs.

China will make more efforts to increase imports while stabilizing exports, he said.

Chen said that nations around the world should create an open and more comfortable environment for overseas investment to boost confidence amid current global economic uncertainty.

A small number of regions remain conservative in receiving foreign investment. Some big countries refuse Chinese investors in the name of safeguarding national interests, which is not conducive to coping with the global financial crisis and achieving a speedy recovery, Chen said.

"We must not only safeguard a free environment for trade, but also for investment," Chen said.

He noted that it is especially important considering sovereign debt crises of major economies have nearly depleted their fiscal and monetary policy funds to boost growth.

Only a very open and more comfortable environment for investment will work to promote employment and domestic consumption, he added.

The Chinese government will also provide strong policy support for outbound investment, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said Thursday.

China will explore some domestic qualified and active technological development zones and give full play to their advantages in line with the development of China's overseas trade and economic cooperation regions, Chen said.

The protection mechanism for investors ought to be perfected in order to promote overseas enterprises' capacity for risk prevention and to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, he said.

The guidance and services for private enterprises as well as small- and mid-sized enterprises investment in foreign countries is also expected to be strengthened, according to Chen.