China had used US$584.4 billion of foreign investment from 1978 to the end of May 2005, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing Tuesday.

At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Chen Jian, assistant minister of commerce, said the foreign investment covers various fields such as manufacturing, services, agriculture and infrastructure.

The accumulated number of approved foreign invested enterprises in China reached 525,378, representing a contractual foreign investment of 1.1615 trillion dollars since 1978, the year that China carried out a reform and opening up policy, Chen said.

So far, over 190 countries and regions have invested in China, and among the world's top 500 companies, nearly 450 have invested in China and more than 30 have established their regional headquarters in the country. The number of foreign invested research and development centers exceeded 600, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2005)