The Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that foreign direct investment in China continued to expand in the first nine months of this year.

The ministry said FDI rose 4.2 percent to 609 billion yuan from January to September, compared to the same period last year.

The ministry also said that FDI climbed more than one percent on the year in September to 60 billion yuan. The services and high technology sectors were the top grossing areas for foreign investment. The pharmaceutical sector saw a nearly 70 percent jump in FDI, followed by general equipment.

The FDI mainly came from the US, the European Union, and the UK. FDI from Germany jumped nearly 120 percent in the first three quarters.