The Chinese Ministry of Commerce says over the past 11 months actual foreign investment in China amounted to US$57.5 billion, a 22 percent increase over the same period last year.

The figure brings the total actual foreign investment in China to US$559 billion.

In addition, there were nearly 40 thousand new foreign enterprises that registered in China in the first 11 months of this year, bringing the total number of overseas companies to 500 thousand.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2004)