BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign investment and cooperation saw steady growth in 2024, an official with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Sunday.

The country's non-financial outbound direct investment rose 10.5 percent year on year to 143.85 billion U.S. dollars last year, with investments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries increasing by 12.6 percent year on year, according to the official.

Investments in leasing, business services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail sectors drove the growth. The turnover of China's foreign contracted projects totaled 165.97 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, an increase of 3.1 percent year on year, the official said.

In 2024, the number of workers dispatched abroad reached 409,000, a 17.9 percent increase year on year, with a total of 594,000 Chinese workers employed overseas by the end of the year.

Non-financial investment in countries along the Belt and Road increased by 5.4 percent year on year to 33.69 billion U.S. dollars last year, MOC data showed.