China's foreign investment up 32% in February (by Chris Oliver)
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) - Foreign direct investment into China totaled $7.8 billion in February, a rise of 32% from a year earlier, though it trailed January's $10 billion, according to a report Tuesday by the state-run Xinhua news agency, which cited data released by the Ministry of Commerce. For the combined months of January and February, foreign direct investment totaled $17.82 billion, a rise of 27% from a year earlier, the ministry said. By combining the figures for the two months, authorities hope to eliminate distortions that arise because of a weeklong Chinese Lunar New Year.