Beijing, Jul 14 (IANS): China's net international investment position at the end of March was $1.79 trillion, said authorities.

The net international investment position measures the difference between a country's external assets and liabilities, reported Xinhua.

At the end of March, China's external financial assets totaled $4.89 trillion, while its external financial liabilities stood at $3.1 trillion, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said Friday in a statement.

The country's reserve assets exceeded $3.38 trillion at the end of March, accounting for 69 percent of its external financial assets.

The country's outbound direct investment in the financial sector hit $379 billion, accounting for 8 percent of external financial assets; portfolio investments reached $270.3 billion, while other investments hit $859.5 billion, the statement said.

At the end of March, foreign direct investment in China exceeded $1.85 trillion, accounting for 60 percent of the country's external financial liabilities. Foreign portfolio investments reached $289.2 billion and other investments hit $959.2 billion.