BEIJING - Foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into China fell for a fifth straight month in March as companies curbed investment amid a global economic slowdown.

The FDI dropped 6.1 percent year on year to $11.76 billion in March, following a 0.9-percent decline in February and a 0.3-percent fall in January, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced Tuesday.

The country received $29.48 billion of FDI in the first three months, down 2.8 percent from a year earlier, MOC spokesman Shen Danyang said at a press conference here.

Investment from the debt-ridden European Union plunged 31.2 percent in the first quarter from a year ago. However, that from the United States and Japan climbed by 10.1 percent and 13.2 percent, respectively, Shen said.

The nation approved the establishment of 5,379 foreign-invested companies in the first quarter, down 9.4 percent year on year.