(Yicai Global) Oct. 18 -- Growth in China's foreign direct investment eased last month compared with the eight months prior, though outbound investments related to the Belt and Road projects accelerated.

Chinese non-financial foreign direct investment has grown 5.1 percent annually to USD82 billion in the first three quarters of the year, of which B&R related outbound flows grew 12.3 percent to USD10.8 billion. This was slightly higher than the 12 percent expansion recorded in the January to August period, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

Chinese enterprises signed contracts overseas projects to the tune of USD154.5 billion during the first nine months, among which there were 517 projects of a contract value of more than USD50 million. These amount to USD131.5 billion, accounting for 85.1 percent of the total.

The country's companies closed some 265 cross-border mergers and acquisitions spanning 49 countries and regions with an actual transaction volume of USD43.3 billion, though the commerce ministry did not provide specific details on this area.

China's firms have set up 113 scaled overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in 46 countries as of September, with a total investment of USD36.6 billion.

Editor: William Clegg