China's robust economy grew 9.9 percent in 2005, an improvement from a 9.5 percent growth in 2004, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.

According to an NBS report, "Statistics on the national economy and social development in 2005" released yesterday, China's gross domestic product (GDP) totaled 18,232.1 billion yuan (about US$2,279 billion).

Agriculture accounted for 12.4 percent of the GDP, compared to 47.3 percent from industry and 40.3 percent from the services sector.

Although the country's arable land decreased by another 362,000 hectares, its grain production increased by 3.1 percent to 484.01 million tons. Cotton output declined by 9.8 percent to 5.7 million tons.

In the industrial sector, state-owned companies saw their profits go up by 17.4 percent, compared to 47.3 percent for private enterprises. Overseas-invested companies recorded the lowest growth rate in profits, which stood at 6.9 percent.

China, already the world's biggest producer of many industrial products, saw another double-digital growth in many such products.

In 2005, it generated 2,474.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, produced 2.19 billion tons of coal, 397 million tons of steel, 1.06 billion tons of cement and 5.7 million vehicles.

China's foreign trade continued its dynamic growth. Its trade volume soared by 23.2 percent to US$1,422.1 billion, with a trade surplus of US$101.9 billion.

Overseas-invested enterprises accounted for US$831.7 worth of the Chinese trade volume, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the national total.

China approved 44,001 overseas-invested projects in 2005, slightly up by 0.8 percent. But actual overseas investment slid by 0.5 percent to US$60.3 billion.

China's overseas investment rocketed by 25.8 percent in 2005, reaching a new high of US$6.9 billion.

Living standards continued to improve in 2005, as indicated by the two-digit growth in the sales of cars, electrical appliances, furniture, jewelry and other consumer products.

By the end of 2005, there were 23.65 million privately owned vehicles on the road, up 22 percent from a year ago.

New figures also reflected challenges facing the country, such as the increasing wealth gap and environmental pollution.

The average net income for China's rural residents amounted to 3,255 yuan (US$407) in 2005, less than one third of the 10,493 yuan (US$1,312) for their urban counterparts.

China's environment improved slightly in some respects, but the general situation remains dismal.

By the end of 2005, about 48.4 percent of wastewater in Chinese cities was treated before being discharged, a slight improvement from the previous year.

Meanwhile, over one third of the 523 cities under environmental monitoring were shrouded in extremely polluted air. Further, seven of China's largest rivers are also heavily polluted.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)