China's non-financial outbound direct investment (ODI) rose 1.8 percent year on year during the first two months, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.
Non-financial ODI stood at 107.86 billion yuan (about 15.5 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months, data showed.
Chinese companies increased investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative during the first two months, adding a total of 2.72 billion U.S. dollars of new investment in 48 countries, up 18.3 percent year on year.
China's investment mainly went into sectors including leasing and business services, wholesale and retail, manufacturing and mining, according to the ministry.
The value of newly signed deals rose 38.3 percent year on year to reach 215.03 billion yuan, with big projects taking the lion's share. The number of newly signed overseas projects with a contract value exceeding 50 million dollars came in at 115, up 29 from the same period a year earlier.
