Chinese shares closed higher at midday on Friday after the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said the foreign direct investment (FDI) doubled in December from a year ago.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.50 percent, to close at 3,231.69 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index gained 0.58 percent, to close at 13,280.75 points.

The FDI in China rose for the fifth consecutive month in December, increasing 103 percent from a year earlier to 12.1 billion U.S. dollars, the MOC said Friday.