FILE: China - Date and Exact Location Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of machines in operation in vehicle production line
2. Various of port view
3. Ship sailing
4. Various of production line at factory
5. Aerial view of industrial park
6. Various of machines in operation
7. Various of employees at work

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland rose 0.3 percent year on year to reach 80.36 billion yuan (12.67 billion U.S. dollars) last month, official data showed Wednesday.

The reading rose from 73.94 billion yuan posted in December, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in an online statement.

According to the MOC, foreign-funded companies newly established in January surged by 158.6 percent year on year to hit 5,197.

FDI in the high-tech sector continued to grow in January, as FDI attracted to the high-tech sector rose 42.3 percent year on year, accounting for 21.5 percent of the total FDI, up 6.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

Some 9.95 billion yuan flowed into the high-tech manufacturing industry, a sharp increase of 93.5 percent year on year, with electronics and communications equipment surging by 75 percent compared with the same period last year.

China's central and western regions saw huge growth in foreign investment.

The pilot free trade zones got the lion's share of the FDI with 8.38 billion yuan flowing to 11 pilot free trade zones across China, achieving a year-on-year growth of 55.2 percent.

As for the sources of investment, Singapore, the United States, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and the Taiwan region are fast growing investors.

FDI from countries along the Belt and Road regions rose 47.4 percent year on year.