Beijing: The volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economy of mainland China in the January to February period decreased by 20.4% compared to the same period last year. According to Qatar News Agency, FDI in actual use reached 171.21 billion yuan (about $23.87 billion) in the first two months of 2025. During this period, 7,574 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, representing a year-on-year growth of 5.8%, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce reported. Actual use of FDI in the manufacturing and services industries stood at 47.82 billion yuan and 120.49 billion yuan, respectively. Meanwhile, actual use of FDI in high-tech sectors was 52.49 billion yuan, with FDI in the e-commerce services, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and smart consumer equipment manufacturing sectors growing by 33.5%, 22.9%, and 40.7%, respectively, compared with the same period of 2024. Investment from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Republic of Korea climbed by 87.9%, 54.7%, and 45.2% year-on-year , respectively, in the first two months of this year, according to the ministry.