China last year attracted $520.6 billion of foreign investment, up by 81 percent from 2019, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a report (link in Chinese).

Amid China's steady economic recovery and improved business climate, foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland grew by 14 percent in 2020, the report said.

In 2020, China's securities market saw net inflows of overseas funds totaling $254.7 billion, a surge of 73 percent year on year, SAFE data showed.

Net inflows into Chinese bonds jumped by 86 percent from a year ago to $190.5 billion, while that into equities reached $64.1 billion, up by 43 percent year on year.

In contrast, the country's outbound direct investment lagged behind due to the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, down 20 percent year on year to $109.9 billion.

The report attributed the significant growth in Chinese securities' overseas holdings to the country's promising economic development prospects, prudent monetary policy, and high-level opening up of the financial market.

(With input from Xinhua)