BEIJING - China's top economic planner approved 23 fixed-asset investment projects with total investment reaching 319.7 billion yuan ($47.7 billion) in September.

The projects covered transportation, high tech, energy and water conservation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The projects will help promote regional economic growth, upgrade the country's industrial structure and advance China's sustainable development, said the NDRC.

China's fixed-asset investment in the first nine months grew 8.2 percent year on year, slightly up from the 8.1 percent registered during the January-August period, according to data released Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The investment structure was improved with more money spent on high-tech and service sectors, while less money went into industries with high energy consumption or excessive capacity, according to the NBS.