BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland in actual use stood at 112.71 billion yuan (about 15.86 billion U.S. dollars) in January, down 11.7 percent year on year and up 20.4 percent month on month, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

Last month, 4,588 new foreign-invested firms were established across the country, up 74.4 percent year on year, the ministry said. "This shows that foreign investment is enthusiastic about coming to China, and that multinationals are still optimistic about the development opportunities of the Chinese market."

FDI in the high-tech manufacturing sector soared 40.6 percent year on year in January.

FDI from France saw a 25-fold increase, FDI from Sweden saw an 11-fold growth, and FDI from Germany, Australia and Singapore increased by 211.8 percent, 186.1 percent and 77.1 percent, respectively, the ministry said.