National economic growth accelerated to some extent. According to preliminary estimation, in the first quarter of this year, the gross domestic product reached 1,817.3 billion yuan, up 8.1% over the same period last year at comparable prices. It was 1.3 percentage points higher than that in the last quarter of the previous year. Of which, the growth of the primary industry was 3%, secondary industry, 9.3% and 7.5% growth for the tertiary industry.

Since the winter of the previous year, local governments enhanced the adjustment of agricultural structure, actively guided farmers to arrange their production according to market demand. According to the survey on rural households planting intention, the planting areas of farm crops would be 1.56 billion hectares, an increase of 400,000 hectares over the previous year. Of which, the planting areas for grain were down by 1.2% over the previous month. The planting areas for low quality early rice and double harvest late rice declined to some extent. The planting areas for high quality rice and one harvest late rice increased by 1.6%. The planting areas for sugar crops and cotton declined. The planting areas for oil-bearing crops and vegetables increased.

With the improvement of economic structural adjustment and enhancement of state-owned enterprises reform, industrial production kept fairly fast growth in this year. The efficiency of enterprises improved. In the first quarter, the total complete value-added of industrial production was 501.2 billion yuan, up 10.7% over the same period last year, the growth rate was 3.4 percentage points higher than that in the last quarter of the previous year. Of which, the growth of state-owned and state holding enterprises was 8.6%, that of collective enterprises was 7.7%, that of the joint ventures was 14.4%.

Production of heavy industry speeded up. In the first quarter, the growth of heavy industry was 11.5%; the growth rate was 1.7 percentage points higher than that of the light industry. The production of information and telecommunication products increased rapidly. The production of carrier wave communication equipment, optical communication equipment, program-controlled switchboard, electronic computers, microcomputers and circuits was 16.3-73.1% respectively. The growth of mobile telephones was 1.4 folds.

Sales of industrial products continued to be brisk, with sales ratio of 95.92%. The economic efficiency of industrial enterprises further improved. In the first 2 months of this year, the comprehensive economic efficiency index of industrial enterprises was 95.83 or 15.6 percentage points higher than that in the same period last year.

Due to the domino effect of the policy of issuing state treasury bonds and enlarging investment, investment in fixed assets kept steady growth though the base figure was quite high. In the first quarter, investment in fixed assets (excluding urban and rural collective units and individual investment) was 223.5 billion yuan, up 8.5% over the same period last year. Of which, the investment in capital construction was 123.5 billion yuan, up 4.7%, that of technical innovation was 37.7 billion yuan, up 12.6% and that of real estate was 53.5 billion yuan, up 20.4%.

Due to the raise of the income of medium and low-income households of urban residents and the prolong of holidays, the market sales showed the trend of moving to the better since the second half of last year. In the first quarter, the retail sales of consumer goods was 839.4 billion yuan, up 10.4% over the same period last year, the growth rate was 2.4 percentage points higher than that in the last quarter of the previous year. Of which, the retail sales in cities reached 518.2 billion yuan, up 10.9%, the growth rate was 1.3 percentage points higher than that of rural areas. Catering sector was brisk. In the first quarter, the growth was 18.9% or 3.1 percentage points higher over the same period last year.

Thank to the series of policies on encouraging export set by the central government and the better global economic performance, in 2000, the export of China showed the trend of fast growth. According to customs statistics, in the first quarter the total import and export was 98.2 billion USD, up 40% over the same period last year. Of which that of export was 51.7 billion USD, up 39.1%; that of import was 46.5 billion USD, up 41%. China had a trade surplus of 5.2 billion USD.

Influenced by policy and seasonal factors, in addition with the price increase of oil on the international market, in the first quarter, the consumer price was up 0.1% over the same period last year. The retail price was down by 1.9%; the declining rate was 0.9 percentage points lower over that in the last quarter.