China attracted $29.91 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first quarter of 2013, up only 1.44 percent year on year.

In March alone, FDI growth also eased to 5.65 percent to reach $12.42 billion, compared with a growth of 6.32 percent in February.

The Ministry of Commerce said in the first quarter, most of the FDI flocked to China's service and manufacturing sectors, which attracted 48.24 percent and 44.05 percent of the country's total FDI, respectively.

Foreign investors set up fewer new firms in the manufacturing and service sectors in the first three months, but the sectors still managed to post FDI growth.