BEIJING — China's fixed-asset investment (FAI) in highways and waterways declined in the first quarter of this year, official data showed.

Total FAI in highways and waterways reached 287.2 billion yuan ($40.6 billion) during the first three months, accounting for 77.1 percent of the level recorded in the same period last year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Transport.

Specifically, investment in highway construction stood at 267.2 billion yuan, while that of inland rivers reached 8.8 billion yuan during the period, accounting for 76.2 percent and 78.3 percent of the figures in Q1 of last year, respectively.

The FAI in coastal construction neared 8.4 billion yuan, about 83.4 percent of that in the same period of 2019, the data showed.