China's outbound direct investment (ODI) hit $10.2 billion in January, up 40.6 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.
Last year, China drew a record $119.6 billion worth of FDI, while ODI surged 14.1 percent to a new high of $102.9 billion.
The government has been encouraging Chinese firms to invest abroad to help them become more competitive internationally, utilize their surplus capacity, and help slow down the rapid build-up of foreign exchange reserves.