BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China remains a popular destination for overseas investors, with a surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the January-April period.

FDI into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, rose 38.6 percent year on year to 397.07 billion yuan (about 61.45 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The volume increased 30.1 percent from the same period in 2019.

Foreign investment in the services industry soared 46.8 percent year on year to 312.94 billion yuan, with foreign investment in the high-tech services sector up 34 percent.

From January to April, investment from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expanded 65.2 percent year on year, and investment from countries along the Belt and Road and the European Union respectively rose 62.8 percent and 9.2 percent.

The foreign investment actually used by China’s eastern, central and western regions increased by 39.1 percent, 37.5 percent and 30.3 percent, respectively.

Industry professionals attributed the sustained upward momentum in foreign investment to the country’s solid economic base and consistent opening-up measures, showing foreign investors’ confidence in China’s economic development.

They suggested China should open up further and stabilize foreign investment, given the changes in the external environment.