Foreign direct investment in China grew for a third consecutive month in April, suggesting overseas investors' approval of the country's investment environment as its new leadership deepens economic restructuring activities.

Non-financial FDI in China in April came to $8.435 billion, up 0.4 percent from a year earlier, marking three months of growth after February reversed an eight-month slump with a rise of 6.3 percent, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The first four months of the year saw FDI increase 1.21 percent year-on-year to $38.34 billion, while total FDI into the country in 2012 declined 3.7 percent from a year earlier to $111.72 billion.