BEIJING - Foreign direct investment (FDI) growth in 2011 slowed to 9 percent, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

FDI, from January to November, grew by 13.15 percent year-on-year to $103.7 billion, according to the ministry.

But the figure for the whole year is expected to be $115 billion, up 9 percent from the previous year, said Liu Yajun, director-general of the Department of Foreign Investment Administration with the ministry, during the conference.

Last November, China's FDI dropped by 10 percent from a year earlier, the first drop for 28 months and experts said similar declines will probably appear in the coming months.

The ministry said on Wednesday that China's outbound direct investment will match FDI during the 2011-15 period.

New foreign investment guidelines were released last week in which China said it would encourage foreign companies to invest in more sectors, especially strategic emerging industries, service and high-tech.