BEIJING: China invested 1.36 trillion yuan ($221.4 billion) in railways, roads and waterways in the first eight months of the year, a 13.7 percent increase from a year earlier, a government official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

The China Securities Journal quoted Li Yang, the spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, as saying China was maintaining a rapid growth of spending on infrastructure in the third quarter.

The Chinese economy has relied on massive infrastructure spending and looser credit policies to prop up growth following the 2008/09 global financial crisis.

In August, railway investment was 18.2 percent higher than one year earlier, according to the ministry spokesman. The spending pace in August was higher than in preceeding months, the journal said.