China's outward foreign direct investment (ODI) grew to $153.71 billion in 2020, ranking first globally for the first time, a report showed Wednesday.

The ODI growth rate went up by 12.3 percent year on year in 2020, a large reverse from a contraction of 4.3 percent in 2019.

China's ODI amounting to $2.58 trillion at the end of 2020 remained the third largest in the world, following the United States ($8.13 trillion) and the Netherlands ($3.8 trillion), said the Annual Statistical Communiqué of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment 2020, jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce, the National Bureau of Statistics and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. 

China's influence in global foreign direct investment continues to expand. The flow of China's ODI accounted for more than 10 percent of the world for five consecutive years, the report said. 

As of the end of last year, 280,000 Chinese local investors invested 45,000 enterprises spread in 189 countries, with total assets mounting $7.9 trillion.

In 2020, China's ODI covered 18 industrial sectors. Four major industries, including leasing and commercial services, manufacturing, wholesale and retails, and finance, were the destinations for about 70 percent of the ODI flow.

Meanwhile, China's ODI also helped to drive the country's exports by $173.7 billion, accounting for 6.7 percent of the total exports of goods.

Last year, Chinese-invested enterprises achieved sales revenue of $2.4 trillion, contributed a total of $44.5 billion to the host countries' tax revenue, and hired 2.19 million foreign employees, who accounted for over 60 percent of the total number of employees of Chinese enterprises overseas, the report said.