WASHINGTON -- Foreign investors chose to pile more of their funds in China last year as the country posted growth despite economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Global investors claimed more than a third of commercial real estate deals in the capital city of Beijing, an increase from previous years, property manager JLL said recently.

"Beijing is expected to remain a strong choice for foreign investors, particularly as the nation's capital is predicted to see more signs of recovery sooner than most other major markets overseas," Michael Wang, senior director of capital markets for JLL North China, said in a release.

Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 6.2 percent year-on-year to a record high of 999.98 billion yuan in 2020, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday. In US dollar terms, the inflow went up 4.5 percent year-on-year to $144.37 billion.