China January foreign direct investment rises 23%

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EForeign%20direct%20investment%20in%20China%20rose%2023.4%20percent%20in%20January%20from%20a%20year%20earlier%2C%20the%20government%20said%20Thursday%2C%20despite%20an%20official%20campaign%20to%20stem%20liquidity%20and%20control%20inflation.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20attracted%20%2410.03%20billion%20in%20foreign%20investment%20last%20month%2C%20Commerce%20Ministry%20spokesman%20Yao%20Jian%20said.%20The%20figure%20indicated%20continued%20revival%20in%20investment%20after%20growth%20slowed%20sharply%20in%20August%20and%20despite%20moves%20by%20the%20government%20to%20slow%20the%20economy%20-%20including%20last%20week%27s%20third%20interest%20rate%20hike%20in%20four%20months.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20January%20figure%20compares%20to%20growth%20of%2015.6%20percent%20in%20December%2C%20when%20%2414.03%20billion%20in%20investment%20flowed%20into%20China.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EForeign%20direct%20investment%20%28FDI%29%20hit%20a%20full-year%20record%20of%20%24105.7%20billion%20in%202010%2C%20the%20government%20said%20last%20month%2C%20reflecting%20growing%20foreign%20confidence%20in%20the%20economy%20despite%20Beijing%27s%20dampening%20measures.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EInvestment%20by%20overseas%20companies%20last%20year%20rose%2017.4%20percent%20year-on-year%2C%20with%20more%20than%20a%20fifth%20of%20the%20money%20flowing%20into%20the%20booming%20property%20sector%2C%20Yao%20said%20last%20month.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAnalysts%20say%20strong%20growth%20in%20the%20world%27s%20second-largest%20economy%20and%20expectations%20for%20a%20stronger%20currency%20have%20attracted%20a%20growing%20number%20of%20foreign%20investors%20to%20China%2C%20hoping%20for%20a%20better%20return%20on%20their%20money.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EBut%20the%20government%2C%20alarmed%20by%20soaring%20food%20and%20property%20prices%2C%20has%20been%20trying%20to%20reduce%20the%20volume%20of%20money%20flowing%20into%20the%20economy%20as%20inflation%20continues%20to%20soar.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EFigures%20released%20Tuesday%20showed%20January%27s%20annualized%20inflation%20remained%20high%20at%204.9%20percent%2C%20despite%20adjustments%20to%20the%20consumer%20price%20index%20that%20reduced%20the%20weighting%20of%20soaring%20food%20costs.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E