Foreign direct investment into China rose for the sixth consecutive month in January, up 7.79 percent year on year to US$8.13 billion, China's Ministry of Commerce said over the weekend.

The government approved the set-up of 1,866 overseas-funded ventures in January, an annual rise of 24.73 percent, the ministry said. FDI mainly flowed into the manufacturing sector, despite an overall drop in the sector of 11.57 percent annually, the statement said. The sector attracted 48.65 percent of total FDI.