The Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that China remains attractive to foreign direct investment despite increased uncertainty over global investment amid the slowing global economic recovery.

China surpassed the United States to become the world’s largest FDI recipient in the first half of 2011, which “shows that global investors are still confident in China’s economic prospects and attach more importance to China’s market potential”, an unnamed official with the Department of Foreign Investment Administration said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

China attracted $59.1 billion in FDI in the first six months, down slightly from $60.9 billion a year earlier, while the US attracted $57.4 billion from January to June, down 39 percent from a year earlier, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in a recent report.

China still faces great challenges in attracting FDI in the current global economic situation, and the government will “further open up and improve the investment environment and optimize public services and management to provide a fair, stable and transparent investment environment”, the official said.

The official emphasized that “China will protect the legitimate interests and rights of investors in accordance with laws and treat investors from different regions fairly”.