The global financial crisis has taken its toll on foreign direct investment (FDI) to China, with the rate of growth starting to slow down.

FDI in China rose 39.9 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2008, and spending by overseas companies increased to $74.4 billion, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday on its website.

But FDI for September was only $6.64 billion, compared to the monthly average of about $8.3 billion so far this year.