A technician from China Construction Fifth Bureau Installation Engineering Co Ltd checks lift equipment quality for the expansion project of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in December. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

China's non-financial outbound direct investment, or ODI, rose 35.7 percent year-on-year to 136.04 billion yuan during the first two months of 2023, said the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

In US dollar terms, ODI grew 26.5 percent from the same period a year ago to $19.96 billion, the ministry said in an online statement.

READ MORE: China's non-financial ODI up 8.5% in Jan-Sept

The non-financial ODI into economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached $4.04 billion during the January-February period, with an increase of 27.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 20.2 percent of China's total non-financial ODI during this period.

The ministry said China's ODI into leasing and commercial services went up 22.3 percent from a year earlier to $4.72 billion in the first two months, while Chinese investment in wholesale and retail sectors soared 17.2 percent year-on-year to $4.09 billion in overseas markets.