<正>ORDOS, in contrast to many places in China that are either lowering or removing their foreign investments thresholds, is raising its own requirements in this regard. The city has rejected certain projects ¨C coveted by many other cities around the country ¨C worth more than RMB one billion. No matter what its value, an investment project in the energy and heavy chemicals sectors will get a green light only if at least 50 percent of its prospective mining output can be processed locally into higher added-value products. And whatever economic benefits they might bring, high energy-consumption or pollutant projects are strictly forbidden from the city's soil. This 'restrictive' perspective has not scared off investors with deep pockets. Last year, the city signed investment contracts of a higher value than certain coastal provinces.