China invested more than 278.4 billion yuan (45.4 billion US dollars) in overseas markets in the first five months of 2015, China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday, dpa reported. China's outbound direct investment (ODI) surged 47.4 per cent during the period and covered 3,426 overseas-based companies across 146 countries and regions, the ministry said. Meanwhile the latest data showed foreign direct investment (FDI) into China increased at a slower rate of 11.1 per cent year on year in the first four months of 2015, settling at 273.61 billion yuan. Both ODI and FDI exclude the financial sectors.