China set to be net investor in 2014

China is likely to be a net investor in 2014 with foreign direct investment outflows surpassing the FDI inflows, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said on Tuesday.

Liang Guoyong, economic affair officer of UNCTAD, said that it is "an inevitable trend for China's outward FDI to surpass the FDI inflows into the country".

UNCTAD released its annual investment flagship report--World Investment Report 2014, themed on Investing in the Sustainable Development Goals: An action plan.

In 2013, FDI inflows (including financial ones) to China resumed the growth since late 2012 and rose 2.3 percent year-on-year to $123.9 billion, ranking second in the world and narrowed the gap with the largest host country, the United States.

Meanwhile, the quality of FDI inflows to China also enhanced with more investment into the country's high-end manufacturing, services with high value-added, said the press release from UNCTAD.

In addition, China's FDI outflows (including financial ones) increased 15 percent year-on-year in 2013 to an estimated $101 billion, the third highest in the world after the US and Japan.

"China's outward FDI has entered a fast growth phase and China is now a real big investor...the outward FDI will be an important driver for China's industrial upgrading and economic growth," Liang said.

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