Minister dismisses conjecture on FDI fall

Foreign direct investment to China will be further optimized and diversified in the long run as the country's economy is transformed and upgraded, the top commerce official said on Tuesday.

Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said opinions on withdrawal of foreign direct investment in China are biased, since the market plays a key role in allocating global capital resources.

His comments came after foreign media reported that foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland dropped by 9.2 percent year-on-year to $12 billion in January, prompting speculation that the country's ability to attract FDI is declining.