Although the scope of Chinese investment in the United States is broadening and diversifying, the amounts involved are still a drop in the bucket when it comes to foreign direct investment in the world's largest economy, officials said.

"As of the end of September, Chinese businesses' cumulative direct investment in non-financial sectors in the US accounted for 2.9 percent of China's total outward direct investment, which wasn't in line with the huge markets in both countries," said Wang Chao, vice-minister of commerce, during the High-Level Forum (Beijing) on Sino-US Investment Promotion on Friday.

In terms of the number of investments, mergers and acquisitions and greenfield investments (new projects built from the ground up) were evenly divided.