The returns earned by Chinese companies from investments in overseas manufacturing this year are estimated to have risen by 19.8 percent year-on-year, to $225 billion, according to a senior official.

Zhang Ji, the assistant minister of commerce, said as more outbound direct investment has flowed into manufacturing sectors, such as automobiles, cement and clothing, companies have found new growth points and built industrial chains.

"Their investment can effectively drive trade growth," Zhang said at an economic forum held by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges on Saturday. "We've also discovered an alternative benefit: Part of the country's gross domestic product has been transformed into gross national product."