The total revenues of China’s top 100 IT enterprises climbed 25 percent in the first 10 months of this year, according to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Information Industry.

The 100 leading companies grossed combined revenues of more than 616.3 billion yuan (US$74.5 billion) in the 10-month period, the ministry said, adding the growth was six percentage points higher than the same period last year and one percentage point higher than in the first three quarters of this year.

A total of 14 enterprises saw their revenues up more than 50 percent from a year earlier, including Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Haier Group, the country’s largest consumer electronics maker, topped the revenue list with 86.3 billion yuan, followed by Guangdong-based TCL Group with 34.2 billion yuan and China’s top homegrown PC maker Lenovo Group with 32.3 billion yuan.

Lenovo is well positioned to become the world’s third-largest PC maker after acquiring IBM’s global desktop computer and notebook business.

SVA Group, NEC’s Chinese partner in the liquid crystal display (LCD) industry, ranked fourth with 27.8 billion yuan, followed by China’s top telecom gear maker Huawei with 22.7 billion yuan.

The top 100 enterprises are expected to keep their growth momentum this month, with combined full-year revenues estimated at more than 745 billion yuan, up 25 percent from last year.

Their total profits for this year are projected to grow 15 percent to 26 billion yuan, with exports up 30 percent to 190 billion yuan.

(Shenzhen Daily December 14, 2004)