China approved a total of 43,664 new foreign-invested companies in 2004, up six per cent from 2003. China's accumulative FDI totalled $1.0966 trillion by December of 2004, of which 562.1 billion have been materialised, it said.
The structure of FDI in 2004 has been further optimised, with rapid FDI growth in manufacture, electric machinery and other high-tech areas, ministry of commerce spokesman Chong Quan said.
More FDI poured to form research and development centres and regional headquarters in the Chinese mainland, Chong said.
Meanwhile, newly increased FDI in such areas as iron and steel, cement and aluminium were effectively curbed owing to China's macro-economic control measures to cool down the economy, he said.
FDI witnessed rapid growth in northeast China's old industrial bases, he said, citing it as a noteworthy characteristic of 2004.
Major Asian investors and former 15 member countries of the European Union all increased their investment to China last year, he added.
China's foreign trade in 2004 has also surged to a record $1.15 trillion to become the world's third largest trading power behind the United States and Germany.
