BEIJING — China's non-financial outbound direct investment (ODI) decreased 3.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, official data showed on July 22.

China's ODI amounted to 348.8 billion yuan during the period. In US dollar terms, ODI increased 4.7 percent to $53.9 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Bucking the overall decline, non-financial direct investment into countries along the Belt and Road increased 8.6 percent year-on-year in the first half, accounting for 17.8 percent of total ODI, data from the ministry shows.

Investment into the information technology and scientific research services sectors jumped 26.8 percent and 74.2 percent, respectively, while investment into the transportation sector almost doubled.

At the end of the first half of 2021, investment into overseas economic and trade cooperation zones totaled $47 billion, contributing a combined $6 billion in taxes and fees to investment destinations and creating 380,000 local jobs, the data shows.