Country gets closer to being net investor

China's outbound investments will soon exceed inward foreign direct investment, as its companies seek opportunities in mature markets and developing ones on new trading routes, a senior official said on Friday.

Zhong Shan, China's international trade representative and vice-minister of commerce, said the country's outward investment should continue to grow faster than its utilization of foreign investment, which will make it a net investor.

China's nonfinancial outward direct investment reached $102.9 billion last year, up 14.1 percent from a year earlier. It was the first time China had cracked the $100 billion mark, maintaining its position as the third-largest global outbound investor, according to the State Council.