The utilization of foreign capital in North China's Shanxi province rose steadily in the first quarter, according to the province's department of commerce.

According to the Shanxi Department of Commerce, the province has approved six foreign direct invested enterprises in the first quarter, with contractual investment of $298 million, 25.53 percent more than the first quarter of last year.

This quarter's actual utilization of foreign capital increased 33.64 percent to $580 million.

In the first three months, most of the foreign capital was invested in secondary industry, accounting for 72.43 percent of the total paid-in foreign investment; the paid-in investment to tertiary industry was $159 million, 27.57 percent of the total.

Hong Kong was the top source of foreign capital, followed by Germany and Taiwan. Paid-in investment from Hong Kong totalled $453 million, 78.58 percent of the total. The other sources included US, France, Singapore and Italy.

The capital of Shanxi province, Taiyuan, was the main destination of foreign investment in the first quarter, when it established two foreign-invested companies with contractual foreign investment of $11.86 million.

Not only introducing foreign capital, the first quarter also saw Shanxi invest overseas. The province invested $9.86 million in the quarter, headed to countries like US, South Africa, Malaysia and Japan. The investment was mainly engaged in building, manufacturing, wholesale, and retailing industries.