China's top economic planner approved nine fixed-asset investment projects in October with a combined investment of 91.8 billion yuan (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars), latest data shows.

The projects were primarily in transportation and energy areas, according to Meng Wei, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission.

Fixed-asset investment, one of the major drivers of China's economy, posted a faster growth of 5.7 percent in the Jan.-Oct. period, up from 5.4 percent in the Jan.-Sept. period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

In breakdown, investment in infrastructure increased 3.7 percent in the first 10 months, slightly up from 3.3 percent in the Jan.-Sept. period.

Fixed-asset investment includes capital spent on infrastructure, property, machinery and other physical assets.