July 19, 2007 -- On July 10, representatives from 16 of Fortune World's Top 500 Companies visited Qinghai reported Xinhua News. By July 11, four of the team had already signed up to investment agreements with the local government. The total amount of invested capital will reach 870 million yuan. The companies that will invest in Qinghai include Yum! Brands Inc. and Franklin Templeton Investment.

Early in 2006, the minister of Ministry of Commence of the People's Republic of China, Bo Xilai said in a speech in Qinghai that the Ministry of Commence will support Qinghai's attempts to get investment, especially from world's top companies.

The 16 companies include Shell, Sony, Carrefour, Siemens, Nokia, and NEC. After the visit many of the representatives said that they had learned more about Qinghai and would consider investing in the future, Xinhua reported.