China bagged a healthy $ 117.59 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) last year, rebounding from a fall in 2012, according to official data released today.
FDI in China increased 5.25 per cent year on year in 2013, the data showed.
The growth marked a change from the 3.7 per cent decline registered in 2012, when China faced economic weakness in emerging markets and growth slowdown at home, worrying global investors.
The total FDI reached $ 117.59 billion last year, Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang told the media. In December alone, FDI inflow rose 3.3 per cent from a year earlier to $ 12.08 billion.
FDI in the service sector rose 14.15 per cent in 2013 to reach $ 61.45 billion, or 52.3 per cent of the total. FDI in the manufacturing sector dropped 6.78 per cent to $ 45.56 billion.
China expects a steady inflow of FDI this year against the backdrop of a recovering global economy and improving investment environment within the country as policy makers rebalance the economy by boosting domestic demand, Shen said.
The ministry’s data showed FDI from the United States expanded 7.13 per cent from a year earlier to $ 3.35 billion, while that from the European Union was up 18.07 per cent to $ 7.21 billion.
However, FDI from Japan fell 4.28 per cent to $ 7.06 billion while the Chinese mainland’s investment in Japan’s non-financial sector plunged 23.5 per cent last year.
China’s total investment in overseas non-financial sectors increased 16.8 per cent year on year to $ 90.17 billion, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Shen said China’s overseas investments may be greater than FDI inflows in the next one or two years, and the government will balance efforts to attract FDI and boost overseas investment.