China received $30.34 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first quarter of this year, soaring 29.4 percent year on year, said the Ministry of Commerce.

China approved 5,937 new foreign-invested companies in the first three months, up 8.8 percent from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, China's FDI structure continues to improve. The service sector received paid-in FDI of $14.39 billion from January to March, compared with $13.74 billion of the manufacturing industry. In addition, the western regions strengthened attractions to foreign investors, with paid-in FDI surging 84.1 percent in the first quarter year on year.