CHENGDU - An increasing number of Fortune Global 500 enterprises have set up shops in southwest China's Sichuan province despite the global economic slowdown, local authorities said Friday.

Six Fortune Global 500 enterprises established a presence in Sichuan in the first half of the year, bringing the total number of such companies in the inland province to 179, according to the provincial commerce department.

The six new enterprises include French food processing company Danone, French automobile group PSA Peugeot-Citroen, German chemical giant Evonik Degussa, U.S. chemical producer Dow Chemical Co., German automaker Mercedes-Benz and U.S. oilfield services and equipment provider Schlumberger Ltd.

The companies have established research centers, plants and regional headquarters in the province to tap into unexplored markets there.

In the first six months, foreign direct investment in Sichuan totalled2.05 billion U.S. dollars, according to the commerce department.

Fortune Magazine, which draws up the Fortune Global 500 list of the world's top companies, announced in April that Sichuan's capital of Chengdu will host its Fortune Global Forum in June 2013.