In the first four months of 2006, China saw a foreign direct investment (FDI) of US$18.48 billion, up 5.76 percent over the same period last year, said sources with the Ministry of Commerce on Monday. In the first four months, 12,639 foreign firms were authorized to be established in China, down 3.46 percent from the same period of last year.

Hong Kong was ranked first with its investment totaling US$5.36 billion. Japan and the United States, listed the third and the sixth respectively, have posted investments in China of US$1.552 billion and US$837 million.

In the first four months, the top ten countries and regions that invested the most in the Chinese mainland also include British Virgin Islands, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Taiwan, Cayman Islands, Singapore and Samoa.

Statistics show in the first four months of 2005, the contracted foreign investment reached US$50.152 billion, 8.03 percent higher over the same 2004 period and foreign investment actually utilized was US$17.473 billion.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2006)