Dong Mingzhu, chairperson and president of Gree Electric Appliances,Inc., speaks at the session of “70 and 40 Years in Retrospect: China in a New Era“ during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

　　BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- China is witnessing a steady surge in female entrepreneurship, with women playing a pivotal role in fueling the country's high-quality development.

　　By the end of 2024, private enterprises with female investors in China surpassed 23 million, accounting for 41.6 percent of all private companies, data from the State Administration for Market Regulation showed on Saturday.

　　The number of businesses with investments by women has grown at an average annual rate of 9.8 percent since 2012, as more women are launching and investing in companies.

　　Saturday marked the 115th anniversary of International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8.

　　The administration said that the Yangtze River Delta region leads in female entrepreneurship, with 44.5 percent of private enterprises featuring female investors.

　　Shanghai stands out across the country, with nearly half of the city's private enterprises featuring female participation as investors. Zhejiang, Beijing and Liaoning also show strong female engagement, with over 47 percent of private businesses having women investors.

　　A growing number of well-educated women are choosing to start businesses from home or return to their hometowns, becoming a significant driving force for rural development. They are particularly influential in sectors such as agricultural e-commerce and traditional handicrafts, the administration said.