Foreign investment in China falls in September

Real estate agents hold foreign properties promotion sales placards at an entrance to the China Property and Investment Show in Beijing on September 21. AP

BEIJING—Foreign investment in China fell again in September and a government spokesman said it was too early to forecast a recovery in trade.

The Ministry of Commerce said Friday that foreign direct investment declined 6.8 percent from a year earlier to $8.4 billion. FDI includes investment in factories and other assets but excludes stocks and other financial instruments.

Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said it was too early to say trade growth is recovering from its slump despite a 9.9 percent rise in exports in September. Shen said global conditions were still difficult and uncertain.