China's foreign direct investment (FDI) stood at $8.21 billion in February, expanding by 6.32 percent year on year. This put an end to a streak of declines for eight consecutive months since June 2012.

"The rebound is a heartening fact," said Shen Danyang, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, adding that it showed the competitiveness of China's economy and foreign investors' confidence in its business environment and growth prospects.

In the first two months, total FDI inflow dropped 1.35 percent to $17.48 billion from the same period last year.

"Our general estimate is that FDI will remain steady for the whole year, which means significant rises and drops are not likely," Shen said.

Overseas direct investment by Chinese companies, excluding investment in the financial sector, surged by a robust 147.3 percent year on year to $18.39 billion in the first two months.