(Yicai Global) Dec. 14 -- Foreign direct investment has surged on the introduction of policies to attract investors to China this year, the Ministry of Commerce said today.

FDI rose 90.7 percent annually to CNY124.92 billion (USD18.93 billion) last month, ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said.

The number of new foreign-funded companies went up 161.5 percent to 4,641 last month, Gao said. Some 30,815 foreign-funded companies formed in the first 11 months, marking a 26.5-percent jump. FDI reached CNY803.62 billion during that period.

Analysts attributed the fast FDI growth to the rapidly increasing number of new foreign-funded firms as well as effective policy, which has boosted the confidence of backers, and capital injections for big projects.

The Ministry of Commerce said it will continue to follow the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council to further liberalize and improve the business environment to make it more appealing to international investors.