Hefei is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for projects and investment. [Photo/WeChat account: hefeigaoxinfabu]

A total of 739 new projects with a total investment of 320 billion yuan ($49.48 billion) were signed in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, in the first half of this year, according to official statistics.

The figures grew by 46.6 percent and 40 percent respectively year-on-year, a sign of the city's increasing attractiveness as a destination for projects and investment.

The new projects include 60 headquarters projects and 427 projects involved in key industrial chains.

Some major projects featuring high tech and large investment like Chinese internet giant Tencent's regional headquarters for the smart technology industry have been officially launched in the city.

Investment in new energy vehicles and IoV projects reached 59.86 billion yuan in the first half of this year,  up 134.1 percent compared with last year's total.

In addition, Hefei attracted $2.22 billion in foreign direct investment in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent.

According to the city's investment promotion bureau, Hefei will further increase industrial investment promotion funds and coordinate resources to facilitate the development of new projects in the city.

The city also plans to attract more projects from the new economy and new consumption fields and provide supporting policies for the development of high-quality enterprises engaged in the service industry.