The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has issued report on global investment for the first half of 2012. It shows that China has overtaken the US as the top choice for Foreign Direct Investment for the first time in 9 years.

Despite a slowdown in growth, China saw more foreign capital flowing into its markets than anyone else in the first half of 2012.

Despite a 3 percent decline over last year, China still managed to draw over 59 billion US dollars. This is the second time ever that China's FDI has surpassed the US. The previous year was in 2003. Numbers for the US, meanwhile, were down one third from last year - 57 billion dollars compared to 94 from a year before.

Global foreign direct investments have fallen by a total 8 percent in the first six months of 2012. Russia also saw a steep drop like the US - down 39 percent. The EU fared somewhat better however. The region only saw a fall of 3.8 percent in FDI. Overall, inflows to developed countries declined by 9.5 percent.

There are also signs of changing attitudes in the numbers. Developing countries accounted for half the world's total for the first time ever. That shows that foreign investments have turned their interests from the crisis struck developed economies to the fast growing developing world.

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