From January to February, Japan's direct investment in China dropped 43.63 percent to $716 million compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said on March 18.

Over the two-month period, China's overall foreign direct investment surged 10.44 percent to $19.31 billion from the previous year, according to the ministry.

In 2013, Japan's direct investment in China declined 4.28 percent to $7.06 billion from the previous year amid ongoing tension between the world's second and third largest economies.