China actually used US$41.95 billion in foreign direct investment, in the first eight months this year, up 12.8 percent over the same period of 2006, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday.

The country approved the establishment of 24,848 foreign-funded companies in the same period, down 5.26 percent from the previous year, said the ministry.

In August, the establishment of 3,150 foreign-funded firms were approved, down 8.83 percent year-on-year, while the actual use of foreign investment went up 11.87 percent to US$5.02 billion.

China's actual use of foreign direct investment had cumulatively exceeded US$750 billion by the end of June this year since the beginning of its opening-up policy in 1978.

China's Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said last month that China would unswervingly push forward opening-up and reform and continue to attract foreign investment in an active and effective way.

Currently, more than 28 million people, or about 10 percent of the employed population in cities and towns of the country, work in foreign-funded enterprises.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2007)