Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland fell 3.7 percent year on year in May to 54.67 billion yuan (about 8.05 billion U.S. dollars), the Commerce Ministry said in a press released on its website Thursday afternoon.

In the first five months, FDI inflow was 0.7 percent lower than the same period in 2016. Among that, FDI in hi-tech related business was 48.64 billion yuan, a 20.5 percent increase over the same period the previous year.

The website also said it is going to publish a newly revised Catalogue for the Guidance of Industries for Foreign Investment in order to foster a better environment for foreign investors. 

In March, China announced deepening reforms in the country's free trade zones (FTZ), which include seven new provincial-level areas into the FTZ club.