biz-pic0617 A total of 460,000 people both from China and overseas have visited Beijing International Auto Show from June 10-16, a record high for the biennial event, organizers said. 1,400 domestic and overseas automobile and auto parts companies took part in the show.

biz-pic0616 As one of China's key e-commerce events, the four-day-long symposium concentrates on forwarding discussions on policy, law, techniques and other issues closely related to e-commerce and non-paper trade. Meanwhile, an APEC e-commerce business alliance forum is also being held.

biz-pic0615 Organizers of the first APEC E-commerce Fair say preparation work has been completed. The five-day e-commerce fair begins in the coastal city Yantai starting Tuesday. It aims to demonstrate the latest IT achievements and promote investment and cooperation in e-commerce.

biz-pic0614 Global brewer giants including big names such as Anheuser-Busch, SABMiller, Carlsberg and Heineken, are in fierce competition in China, now the biggest beer market in the world. Some 60 foreign beer makers now have joint ventures or other investments in China.

biz Passengers emerge from the Sadeghieh Station of the Teheran metro, known as the "presidential No 1 project" in Iran. Iran will be the first country in the Middle East and Gulf area to operate a subway system.

biz pic 0611 A ceremony was held Thursday in Suzhou Industrial Park to mark its tenth anniversary. The park, jointly established by Chinese and Singaporean Government, has utilized US$7.2 billion of foreign investment in the past decade.

biz-pic0609 Many of the world's top automakers are in China's capital of Beijing for the country's flagship motor show, Auto China 2004, which officially opens on Thursday in Beijing international exhibition center.

biz pic 0607 The annual China Kunming trade fair opened Sunday in southwest China's Yunnan Province. The five-day fair is under regional spotlight as a China-ASEAN free trade area is moving forward. All 10 ASEAN member countries set up a total of 237 display stands at the fair.

biz-pic0604 Citigroup Country Officer for China Richard Stanley (center) and Jonathan Larsen, head of retail banking at Citibank Asia Pacific, cut a ribbon for Citibank's first wealth management center on China's mainland in Shanghai Thursday.

biz-pic0603 Incomplete statistics from Gansu, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Tibet and Xinjiang show that milk, meat and wool produced a total output value of 20 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion) last year. The three sectors grew at a rate of over 10 percent in the past 13 years.

biz-pic0602 Haier India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese home appliances giant Haier Group, is planning to expand its operations in northern India. A research and development centre is likely to be located there.

biz-pic0601 With the first batch of foreign-funded companies have been acknowledged as the regional headquarters, some logos of foreign firms may help attract more foreign investment as the corporate model offers a broader business scope and easier overall operations.

biz-pic0531 Strict market access and a classification system will be introduced to Beijing's toy market in an attempt to keep unsafe and potentially life-threatening products out of the hands of children.

Exhibition Hong Kong's financial, trade and tourism achievements are on display at an exhibition in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, part of the Chongqing-Hong Kong Week that opened Thursday.

biz pic0528 Beijing is to open a broadcasting company to take the 2008 Olympics to the world. Officials from the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Olympic organizer signed an agreement on the company Thursday in Beijing.

biz-pic0526 The first Global Conference on Scaling up Poverty Reduction, jointly sponsored by China and the World Bank, has opened in east China's city of Shanghai Wednesday.

biz-pic0525 China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec Group), the nation's second-largest oil company, has won the rights to build a liquefied national (LNG) gas terminal in east China's Shandong Province.

biz-pic0521 The 6th Franchise Business Exhibition is to conclude in Beijing Friday. Over 100 franchise brands from home and abroad have attracted lots of institutional and individual investors.

biz-pic0520 Beijing International Finance Forum 2004 was held in Beijing Wednesday. The high-level forum attracts leading domestic officials and financial professionals from the United Nations, the World Bank and leading multinational companies.

biz-pic0519 HSBC announced Tuesday it will open a branch in Suzhou, the bank's 10th branch in the Chinese mainland, following the approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission.

biz-pic0518 Foreign participants pose at the First World Fujian Business Convention, which opened Monday in Fuzhou of East China's Fujian Province. The convention attracted more than 1,800 merchants of Fujian origin from around the world.

biz pic 0517 By the end of April, most domestic listed companies had also announced their first quarter results, which were quite positive, with almost 50 percent net profit growth year-on-year. Rising raw material prices, on the back of strong domestic demand, remained the major contributor to growth.

biz-pic0517 The manufacturers of ice-cream in China are preparing for a biting price war as summer arrives.They are trying to scoop low-end of the market, with all ice-creams priced at or around 1 yuan.

biz pic 0514 China's leading online game operator Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited raised US$152.4 million through an IPO on Nasdaq Thursday. The company's revenue reached US$77 million, with profit of US$28 million last year, banking on its popular online game "The Legend of Mir."

biz pic 0513 China's largest soft drink manufacturer Hangzhou Wahaha Group has teamed up with US distributor Manpolo International Trading Corp to launch its Future Cola in the United States next month.

biz-pic0512 Transport logistic China 2004, the world leading logistic service and equipment exhibition, opened Tuesday in Shanghai New International Expo Center. It has been moved to China for the first time and will run through Friday.

biz pic 0510 China UnionPay bankcard spending hit record 1 billion yuan (US$121 million) in 4.97 million deals during the past seven-day holiday, up 346 percent over the previous year. In addition, travelers from Chinese mainland spent 75 million yuan (US$9.1 million) in Hong Kong using the bankcards.

biz-pic0509 China produced 1.3 million automobiles in the first quarter of this year, up 26% from the same period last year.

en-04-0506-jingji The ship to carry the main body of and wings of Airbus A380, Bordeaux, was delivered to the owner by Jinling Shipyard at Yizheng, Jiangsu Province. It will take A380 parts from Airbus' plants around Europe to France for assembly. [peopledaily.com.cn]

RMB Statistics issued by Hong Kong Monetary Authority shows that Renminbi deposits in Hong Kong banks in April reached six billion, an increase of one billion over March.

pic The ship to carry the main body of and wings of Airbus A380, Bordeaux, was delivered to the owner by Jinling Shipyard at Yizheng, Jiangsu Province. The ship is 154.15 meters long and has a loading capacity of 5,200 tons. It will take A380 parts from Airbus' plants around Europe to France for assembly. The ship will head for France soon from Yizheng.

biz-0502 Workers install the rotor of a generating unit in the hydropower plant on the left bank of the Three Gorges project in central China's Hubei Province April 30, 2004. A total of 14 generating units will be installed in the hydropower plant, with eight in operation now. More than 10 generating units will be in operation by the end of 2004.

biz-pic0430 More than 90 million tourists were expected to travel during the seven-day holiday that starts on May 1.

biz-pic0429 The government and all quarters of society are dedicated to economic growth and job creation, said Vice Premier Huang Ju Wednesday in Beijing.

biz-pic0428jingji The latest NEC 3G mobile phone is shown at CeBIT Asia 2004 fair in Shanghai Tuesday. Between 351 million and 437 million Chinese are expected to use 3G services by 2010. The fair ends Thursday.

biz-pic0428 McDonald's has reported a net profit of $US511.5 million in the first quarter of this year, up 56 percent over the same period of last year, thanks to strong domestic sales and an improvement in global services.

biz-pic0427 The largest Asia IT trade show, the CeBIT, has kicked off in China's commercial hub of Shanghai, attracting more than 350 companies from around the world.

biz-pic0426 China currently boasts 3.8 million hotels and restaurants with a total of 28.6 million service personnel in its catering trade, who generate 876.6 billion yuan in sale volumes, making up 8 percent in the country's GDP.

biz-pic0423 The 11th China International Stone Processing Machinery, Equipment and Product Exhibition was held at Shanghai New International Expo Center. The fair will end on Saturday.

biz-pic0421 A total of 122,000 automobiles were sold in Beijing in the first quarter of the year, a rise of 81.3 percent from the same period last year, according to Beijing Municipal Administration for Commerce.

biz-pic0420jingji China recently announced a trade deficit of 8.4 billion yuan for the first quarter of this year, the first quarterly unfavorable balance of trade registered by the country in 17 years.

biz-pic0420 China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved the application of Shanghai Futures Exchange to trade fuel oil futures following the consent of the State Council. No timetable for starting trading of the contracts has been set.

biz-pic0419 The number of imported cars through Tianjin Port, north China, reached 21,502 in the first three months of this year, a rise of 13.9 percent over the same 2003 period, the latest statistics have shown.

a The Chongqing International Auto Show 2004 kicks off on April 15. Above 100 types of cars will be on display on the four day exhibition. This is the largest auto show ever held in Chongqing. More than 54 auto makes will attend the activity.

biz-pic0416jingji The 95th Chinese Export Commodities Fair kicked off Thursday at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center and the existing Chinese Export Commodities Fairground. Over 180,000 businesspeople throughout the world are expected to show up during half-month-long fair.

biz-pic0416 Global convenience store operator Seven-Eleven has opened its first Chinese outlet in Beijing, marking the start of a plan to open 500 stores in China within five years.

biz-pic0413 The four-day Eighth China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition has become a platform for enhanced cooperation between companies from the mainland and Taiwan Province, which opened in coastal city Xiamen Monday.

biz-pic0412 The gross output value of China's marine industry has reached over US$120 billion for the first time. Domestic marine economic zones have mutually supplemented each other's advantages and developed in unison.

biz-pic0409 A senior official from Ministry of Railways said Thursday that China will invest 2,000 billion yuan (US$241 billion) in building railways nationwide by the end of 2020. The funds might be from the government and also foreign investors.

biz-pic0408 Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday announced the resumption of cooked poultry meat imports from China, according to sources with the China National Regulatory Commission for Certification and Accreditation.

biz-pic0407 Gome Home Appliance Co. has announced it will expand into the audio-visual products market on China's mainland with the goal of becoming the largest domestic retailer of home entertainment products.

biz pic 0406jingji China's business climate index reached 135.9 points in the first quarter of 2004, up 4.7 percentage points year-on-year. The National Bureau of Statistics said that China's business has maintained good momentum for sustained and rapid development since the second half of last year.

biz-pic0405 The Shenzhen Stock Exchange is in final preparations for the launch of a sub-board for the listing of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

biz-pic0402-jj China Venture Capital 2004 kicked off in South China's boomtown Shenzhen Friday. More than 700 representatives from home and abroad attended the two-day forum.

biz-pic0402 The discussion over China's flight insurance market heated up again when Capital Airports Holding Co (CAHC) and the New York-based Metropolitan Life Insurance Co officially launched their 50-50 joint venture in Beijing last Thursday,

biz-pic0401 Tongrentang, China's most famous traditional medicine producer and seller, on Wednesday opened a joint venture in Seoul.

biz-pic0331 Petrol prices are going up nationwide as of Wednesday, with thanks to an international crude oil price hike. Although the price adjustments are different in different parts of China, the increase is between 7 to 8 percent.

biz pic 0331 Hong Kong Trade Development Council has set up CEPA centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou Tuesday in order to better promote HK businesses in Chinese mainland.

biz-pic0330 Taiwan's instant noodle maker Chef Kang has announced that it will ally with Japanese trader Itochu to explore the distribution business on the Chinese mainland.

biz-pic0329 Longtan Port on the southern bank of the Yangtze River,the largest inland water container port in China, went into operation Sunday in east China's Jiangsu Province with a handling capacity of 520,000 containers.

en-04-0327-business Lenovo becomes the first Chinese company to join the elite club of Olympic sponsors.

biz-pic0326 Citibank opened its consumer banking business in Beijing Thursday, becoming another player in the intensely competitive foreign exchange wealth management sector.

biz-pic0325 The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) Beijing Branch said Wednesday its operating profit capped 10 billion yuan (US$1.22 billion) last year, up 23.82 percent on a year-on-year basis, ranking the best performance among the lender's thousands of regional branches.

biz-pic0324 Annual crude oil output at Daqing Oil Field, China's largest oil field, will fall to 30 million tons by 2010, 20 million tons by 2020, said Gai Ruyin, mayor of Daqing City in Heilongjiang Province.

biz-pic0323 Effective measures are to be taken to cool the overheating steel industry down and to prevent latent threats from looming large. Then China's steel industry will enter a new round of readjustment and win a solid presence in the market and consolidation of competitiveness, industry insiders say.

biz-pic0322 Avon (China) Co. Ltd, the world's leading direct-sales cosmetics group will acquire the stake of its Chinese partner Masson for US$50 million to become a solely foreign-funded enterprise in China.

biz pic 0319 The Market Promotion Conference on the Olympic Economy will be held in Beijing from April 18 to 19. The conference will introduce investors a series of projects related to urban construction, environmental protection, high-tech, tourism, logistics, etc..

biz pic 0318 Official with Ministry of Information Industry said Wednesday that chipmakers' production capacity is far behind the country's demand, despite of the speculation that semiconductor investment is overheated. China's IC market is expected to expand 30 percent to US$38 billion this year.

biz pic 0317 China is to lift restrictions on area, stocks and amount of foreign investment in retail sector in December this year, in line with its WTO commitments. Currently, 264 foreign-funded retailers have entered Chinese market, with 2,200 chain stores and total investment of US$3 billion.

biz-pic0315 China Consumers's Association or CCA have held a ceremony to present badges to members of CCA. Members of CCA are required to wear the badges when working.

biz-pic040314 The picture shows a 300,000-ton crude oil tank under construction at a shipyard in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The sales volume of ships in Dalian reached 1 million tons in 2003.

image Gou Zhongwen (sitting), vice-minister of the information industry and Craig Mundie, senior vice-president and chief technology officer at Microsoft (on the TV screen), sign a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of two labs for the national software and integrated circuits public service platform yesterday via a video conference.

biz-pic0312 Shanghai's new housing prices rose by the slowest rate in one-and-a-half years in January, indicating that the over-heated property market would cool off this year. VNU Exhibition Asia showed and the real estate fair will continue through Sunday at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

biz-pic0311 Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission Liu Mingkang says at a press conference in Beijing that no timetable has been set for the Bank of China and China Construction Bank to go public.

biz-pic0310 Grain prices are expected to witness further growth over the next few months, with demand continuing to outstrip supply.

biz-pic0309wry 7-Eleven Inc, the world's largest convenience store operator, is scheduled to open its first 24-hour outlet in Beijing this month.

biz-pic0309 It is said by Guo Shuqing, vice governor of the central bank that China's state-owned commercial banks will pursue different policies according to their own conditions.

biz-pic0308 The East China Fair, the country's second largest tradeshow ended Sunday with a record US$2.56 billion worth of deals sealed.

Jin Renqing The Chinese government will give top priority to agriculture, rural areas and farmers in terms of expenditures in the central budget for this year, Finance Minister Jin Renqing said at the national legislature's annual session Saturday.

biz-picwry0305 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Friday that his government wants a seven percent economic growth for 2004, expecting to keep the economic speed train running stable while preventing the wheels from becoming too hot.

biz-picwry0305 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Friday that his government wants a seven percent economic growth for 2004, expecting to keep the economic speed train running stable while preventing the wheels from becoming too hot.

biz-pic0304 Over 1,380 jewelry dealers from 34 countries and regions worldwide were attracted to Hong Kong and gathered in International Jewelry Show 2004. Imports and exports of jewelry in HK have grown strongly with total imports reaching US$2.8 billion, an increase of 15 percent over last year.

bizpic0303 Shanghai Electric (Group) Corp (SEC) Tuesday unveiled a brand new business which signals the first step towards a massive restructuring of one of the nation's industrial giants.

biz-picwry0302 The 14th East China Fair, China's second-largest trade fair, netted export deals worth US$73.9 million on its first day. The fair kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre Monday and will run through Sunday.

biz-pic0301wry Experts say China's crude oil imports are expected to exceed 90 million tons in 2004 due to the limited oil output in the country. They also forecast that imports of diesel and other oil products will also increase this year.

pic Customers examine Hong Kong-made zero-tariff garments already on sale at the TSE store in Beijing's Oriental Plaza.

biz-pic0227 Chinese people sent 15 billion short messages through mobile phones in January 2004, surging 91 percent year on year.

biz-picwry0226 A five-year survey by the China Geological Survey Bureau has shown that about 40 billion tons oil reserves lie in China's seas, 38 fields were found as well as natural gas hydrate, experts believe may be widely used in the 21st Century.

biz-picwry0225 The Industrial and Commercial Bank, the largest state-owned commercial bank of China says it plans to list on the market in the year 2006, after it finishes transformation into a joint-stock organization.

biz-pic0224 The Agricultural Bank of China signed an agreement with the government of east China's Zhejiang Province, agreeing to lend US$12 billion in 3 years to alleviate a funding shortage hindering the region's fast-growing economy. The loans will mainly go to power generation, transportation, urban construction and private sector.

biz-picwry0223 China is expected to produce 1.7 billion tons of coal this year, a record high, to meet the growing domestic demand, industry sources said Sunday. The figure will be 100 million tons more than the output of 1.6 billion tons in 2003, or up 6.25 percent.

jingji-0222-pic China, which consumes about a quarter of the world's steel products, is expected to devour 14 percent more in 2004, as the country's strong economic growth led to a construction boom and higher steel demand, analysts said. [Reuters]

BIRD A Chinese worker checks mobile phones at a production line of Ningbo Bird Co. Ltd, in China's eastern port city Ningbo. China's Bird aims to hike sales by two-thirds in 2004.

biz-pic0220wry The Shanghai Stock Exchange or SSE has established the largest stock database on China's mainland with a capacity of 8 terabytes. New data can be added every day.

biz-pic0219 Legend Group Limited said Wednesday that it will establish a customer-oriented sales model and an organizational structure to better serve the rapidly changing market.

biz-picwry0218 Shanghai World Expo Group, which undertake the construction, management and operation of Expo 2010, is officially set up Wednesday morning.

biz-pic0217wry The Agricultural Bank of China is to charge an annual fee of 10 yuan, or around US$1.2, for a variety of its debit cards in Beijing from July. The move will affect over 4 million clients.

biz The price plunge of high-end plasma display panel (PDP) TV sets in the past week is the talk of the town among domestic consumers.

biz-pic0213wry Five Chinese apple juice exporters have had US' 51.74 percent anti-dumping tariffs on their products dropped. It is the first time for Chinese agriculture exporters to win an appeal to the US-based Court of International Trade.

biz-picwry0212 Chinese Ministry of Commerce reported trade deficit of US$20 million in January, the highest in 10 months. China's exports are expected to continue growing moderately due to strong global demand but not as fast as imports.

biz-pic0211 The State Grid Corp, which oversees most of China's power transmission and distribution assets, revealed on February 10 it posted a profit of 4.2 billion yuan (US$507.8 million) last year with a turnover of 427.7 billion yuan (US$51.7 billion).

biz pic 0210 China's Zhongxing Telecom Co. has signed a contract to supply telecommunications equipment to Iraq. The US$5 million worth contract is the first one given to a Chinese company in post-war Iraq.

RMB The total transaction values of RMB cards in Hong Kong hit HK$40.725 million (US$4.91 million) within 10 days.

biz-picwry The per capita disposable income of Beijing residents has reached nearly 14, 000 yuan, an 11 percent increase. Sixty percent of the city's population are still earning less than this.

biz-picjingji Sina Corp, the biggest Internet portal in China, Wednesday reported record revenues for the fourth quarter, mainly due to strong growth in mobile messaging and online advertising business.

biz-picwry0204 Sohu.com claims that it has become the first Chinese Internet firm to achieve full-year profitability.

biz-pic0203wry The Shanghai-based Baoshan Iron & Steel decided to go into a joint venture with a Brazilian mining firm. The project will take place in Brazil. This will be China's largest-ever overseas direct investment and the government has approved it.

pic-bizwry0202 Beijing customs registered a total of 170,000 entries and exits during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday. The number of international flights going in and out of the capital rose 3.57 percent from last year's this period.

biz-pic0130wry Thursday was the first trading day in the New Year of the Monkey. The Composite Stock Index on the Shanghai Stock Exchange closed at 1,628.84 points, up 28.41 points over the previous close, while Shenzhen Stock Exchange closed at 3,816.88 points, up 87.54 points over the previous.

biz-pic0129wry Major Chinese consumer electronics and mobile-phone maker TCL Corp. nearly tripled its exports of television sets last year, the Securities Times reported Thursday.

pic The popularity of make-up among Chinese women has led the world's largest cosmetics company to makes its second deal in China in as many months. L'Oreal has signed an agreement with Yue-Sai.

0125-jingji Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific is recruiting an extra 500 cabin crew, planning to expand routes to mainland China and the rest of the world with a bigger fleet, a press report says.

biz pic 0121 A strong demand to use cars during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday has boosted car rental business in Shanghai. More people now receive driving license and are able to afford cars, but local government controls the number of auto plates in order to minimize traffic congestion and protect environment.

biz-pic0120wry The number of people newly employed in China's urban areas reached 8.5 million in 2003, exceeding the central government's initial expectation of 8 million, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

biz-pic0119wry China's charity lottery sales have exceeded US$12 billion in the past 17 years. The profits went towards a welfare fund which has been used in 120,000 public welfare projects across the country.

biz pic 0117 Ministry of Commerce reports that China actually utilized US$53.5 billion of FDI in 2003, up 1.44 percent. The top 10 investors are Hong Kong, Virgin Islands, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Taiwan, Singapore, Western Samoa, Cayman Islands and Germany.

biz pic 0115 The State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Thursday enact measures to halt poultry imports from these countries hit by the bird flu, like Vietnam, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

biz pic 0114 Shanghai's housing authority pledged Tuesday that it will intensify efforts to improve the transparency of the city's residential property market. It is now working on an alert system tracking the overall real estate market, including land leasing information, property management and trading prices.

biz-pic0113 Beijing has reported about US$2 billion of customs revenue last year despite the outbreak of SARS. The increase is attributed to the climbing value of imports, including electrical products and communication equipment.

biz112 Beijing Jeep, the first Sino-foreign auto joint venture in China, announced on Friday that it became profitable in 2003 for the first time over the past five years.

0110-b China Southern Airlines has been awarded the Five Star Diamond Award, the greatest honor in the industry, by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.

biz-pic Zhang Chunjiang, general manager of the China Netcom Group and chairman of the new subsidiary Netcom North Group, attends the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new venture Thursday in Beijing.

biz-pic0108 A promotion week to celebrate the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement(CEPA)between the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macao has begun in Beijing Wednesday, and will last for ten days. The activities will move to Shanghai and Guangzhou shortly.

biz-pic0107 Direct flights between south China's Guangzhou city and Paris were formally opened on Tuesday. The airline's CEO says the positive outlook for Guangzhou's economy was the most important factor in deciding to provide direct flights.

biz-pic0106 Attracted by China's booming express mail market, FedEx decided to concentrate its operations in China and move its Asia-Pacific transport and distribution center to Guangzhou from the Philippines. The center will be built at the new Baiyun airport in Guangzhou and will open between 2008 and 2012.

biz-pic0105 China's shipbuilding industry has now exceeded 6 million tons per annum and taken up 10% of the international market, or four times higher than the same period of last year.

biz-pic12 China's individual investors who have suffered a bear market for the last three years have become more optimistic and are looking forward to a better year in 2004.

BIZ-PIC1230 The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) launched its first international market annual reports in Beijing Monday.The reports consist of three volumes on Australia, Canada and ROK respectively, with four parts in each volume, namely macroeconomic data, trade statistics, data on production and distribution, and FDI.

biz pic 1229 Starting on the first day of next year, the People's Bank of China will no longer examine and approve trade of gold and gold products.

biz pic1226 The Bank of China, one of China's four state-owned banks, is reported to get a US$20 billion government bailout next week. CRI News quotes source with the bank as saying that the funds will be used to write off bad loans before the bank makes IPO in 2005.

biz pic 1225 South China's Shenzhen city has become the largest manufacturing base for Christmas presents in the world, with annual exports surpassing US$1.1 billion.

biz-pic1225 China is to launch a campaign against intellectual property right infringements in the Internet gaming sector to provide the interests of legitimate game providers.

biz-pic1224 The electronics and information industry of east China's Shandong Province is expected to earn more than 170 billion yuan or US$20.5 billion by the end of this year.

biz-pic1223 General Administration of Civil Aviation pledges to further relax restrictions on issuing licenses for the management of domestic flights, and to set up a system to review the qualifications of international operators. Meanwhile, more private investment will be allowed to enter the aviation sector.

biz-pic1222 Haier, China's electronic appliance maker, has been honored as the top company on the Chinese mainland, according to the 2003 Asia Fortune 200 compiled by " The Far East Economic Review."

biz-pic1219 The Shanghai Gold Exchange, the only exchange of its type in China, Thursday teamed up with a domestic firm to provide real-time trading information to investors.

biz-pic1218 Chinese President Hu Jintao is asking local governments to make increasing farmers' income their main priority.

biz-pic1217 The Bank of China won "Best Bank in China" award for 2003 by Asset magazine, a leading Asian financial journal, the bank spokesman attributed it to the intensified efforts to improve business operations this year.

biz-pic1216 Chinese delegations for soybeans procurement has left for the US on December 16. It expects to sign a big deal with Americans on 1.5 million tons soybeans.

biz-pic1215 Various organizations in Beijing have been taking active steps to help solve a regular shortage of housemaids in the Chinese national capital at the turn of the year.

123 Preparations for the construction of four venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have been completed and work is scheduled to start before the end of this month. This marks the beginning of the three-year Olympic venue construction project.

biz-pic1211 The SASAC issued an evaluation method Tuesday, establishing a standard to assess the achievements of the senior managers of the 189 national SOEs under its direct supervision.

biz-pic1210 Audi, the luxury arm of German auto giant Volkswagen Group, said its sales in China will reach 60,000 vehicles this year, beating its previous expectations.

biz-pic1209wry China's top statistician has pledged to provide good and quality data for the government and the public. Statistics departments at all levels will strictly follow the Statistics Law.

biz pic 1208 The volume of government procurement next year is likely to reach US$26.5 billion, according to source with Chinese Ministry of Finance. China adopted government procurement system in 1996.

Business Pic 1206 Hong Kong economy will grow 2.8 percent this year and 4 percent next year in real term, according to the latest issue of the Hang Seng Economic Monthly.

biz pic 1203 To hedge against the risks of its dependence on imported crude oil supply, China has started a crude oil reservation project in Zhejiang Province. China is expected to become the world's second-largest crude oil consumer and importer next year.

biz pic 1201 Four more Chinese cities, including Jinan, Fuzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing, are added to the list of cities allowing foreign-funded banks to deal with RMB business, Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, announced at a press conference Monday.

biz pic 1128 Central bank sources say that China's forex reserve reached US$400.9 billion by the end of October, up 30 percent compared to the beginning of this year.

biz pic 1127 The 3-day Central Economic Working Conference of 2003, which is devoted to draw up strategy planning for next year, convened Thursday in Beijing.

biz-pic1126 Domestic and foreign automakers are expecting the inaugural China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition to be a shot in the arm for the reputation of their brands in the nation's south.

biz1124 Dongfeng Motor Co., a leading Sino-Japan auto maker, plans to double its current unit sales and revenue to achieve a double-digit profit margin by the end of 2007, company officials said.

CAR The Golf on display at the annual Nanjing auto show. The latest report from Goldman Sachs says 80 percent of the German auto giant Volkswagen's profits in the first 6 months came from the China market.

biz1120 Northeast China's Liaoning Province and Hong Kong signed 18 cooperation contracts valued at US$1.28 billionon Wednesday.

biz-pic1119 CCTV 2004 annual billing conference Tuesday held in Beijing. The annual event of China's biggest TV station lasted for almost 12 hours due to many prime time advertising slots and fierce competition, which raise 4.4 billion yuan (US$531 million) for CCTV.

biz1118 Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEx) opened its representative office in Beijing Monday afternoon.

biz-pic1117 A World Bank report released the last weekend suggests Shanghai and Hangzhou have the best investment climates among 23 major cities in Chinese mainland.

biz-pic1114 The special minority food from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were popular among the Macau residents in the on-going third Macao Gourmand Festival.

BIZ German auto giant Volkswagen AG reported a speedy sales growth of 32.9 percent in the booming Chinese market for the first nine months this year, selling 490,279 vehicles.

biz A kid looks at at helicopter model at the Fifth Shanghai International Industy Fair. The show, which ended Tuesday, drew 463,600 visitors to the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

biz-picwry The China Agriculture Trade Fair, sponsored by Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), held on Nov 11-16 at the Beijing-based National Agricultural Exhibition Center.

biz-picjingji Visitors crowd about the Shenzhou V space capsule at Shanghai International Industrial Fair 2003 in Shanghai Tuesday.

biz-pic1110wry Beijing completes open tender for the 2008 Olympic projects.The main venues including the National Stadium, found their non-governmental owners on Saturday.

biz-pic1107 The Fifth Shanghai International Industry Fair opened Thursday, strongly signaling the increasingly important role of domestic and foreign advanced technologies in reshaping China's industrial sector.

biz-pic1106 The World Economic Development Declaration Conference, with the theme of "equality, honesty, cooperation and development", opens Thursday in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

biz-pic1104wry Former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefskya friendly talked to Long Yongtu, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia, at a luncheon Monday. They used to be "opponents" on the negotiation desk for their own nations' interests.

biz-pic1103wry The limit on foreign ownership of banks will be raised to 24 percent from the current 15 percent and overseas banks may be allowed to increase stakes this year, China Banking Regulatory Commission's official said, but they will still need further approval.

Boao Forum to Open This Weekend With the theme "Asia seeking common development through cooperation", the 2003 annual BFA forum is of particular significance since it closely follows the Bali summit meetings of east Asian nations in early October.

biz-pic1031 The 94th China Export Commodity Fair, which closed in the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province Thursday, scored a record US$20.49 billion in business deals.

biz-pic1029wry An expected tight supply will continue to push up grain prices moderately over the next few years, agricultural officials and researchers warn; but they discount any large price fluctuations.

p-10/27 An Elephant King Laundry Services franchise outlet in Pudong, Shanghai. Overseas and domestic companies, to raise their profile in the world's potentially most lucrative consumer market, are turning to franchising, a low-cost, minimal-risk method of expansion.

biz pic 1023 The Shanghai Gold Exchange, China's sole exchange for the precious metal, said it plans to give members more time to pay for purchases or deliver on sales to boost business and prepare for futures trading.

biz pic 1022 China will issue US$1 billion worth of 10-year dollar bonds and US$500 million worth of 5-year euro bonds. The dollar bonds are priced at 55 basis points over Treasuries, and the euro bonds at 10 basis points.

biz pic 1020 The State Cereal and Oil Information Center said in its latest report that China's wheat output this year was only 86 million tons, the lowest level since the mid-1980s. The report attributed output reduction to the shrinking planting area.

Busines Pic 20031018 Auto financing companies (AFCs) are ready to compete with commercial banks for the Chinese auto finance market following new regulations that allow domestic and foreign firms to provide auto loans to customers.

biz pic 1016 Euromoney magazine released China's top 100 rich list Wednesday. Ding Lei, the founder of Nasdaq-listed NetEase.com, tops the list with his fortune of US$900 million.

biz pic 1014 US-China Business Dialogue, which jointly proposed by AmCham China and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, held its first meeting in Beijing Tuesday morning.

biz pic 1013 The annual China High-tech Fair opened Monday in the south China boomtown of Shenzhen. Some 17 major projects, ranging from high-tech products to sewage treatment, were the subject of signed contracts in the opening day with a total investment of US$400 million.

biz pic 1009 Guangzhou Honda Wednesday kicked off its free maintenance service for 57,724 Accord vehicles manufactured between January 15 and September 4 this year. The service is to fix a technical problem in the valve of its fuel pipeline.

traveler Two Mongolian tourists are happy to arrive in Erenhot, in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, on Thursday. Tourism in China's northern border areas are booming as many tourists from Mongolia, Russia and Germany have flocked there recently. [newsphoto.com.cn]

image People visit the Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze River Oct. 3. The dam which has become a popular tourism destination received more than 9,000 tourists Friday, hitting a record high since it started construction.

fruit Plummeting prices on fruit imported from Thailand attract several people at a market in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province. Starting yesterday, zero tariff was officially applied on 188 kinds of agricultural products traded between China and Thailand,which means the former 30 per cent surcharge on farm produce has been eliminated.

Airbus To meet ever-growing demand for passenger airplanes in China, Airbus officials say they expect to sell 50 newly developed A380s -- currently the largest passenger plane in the world -- to the Chinese market, a top company official has told China Daily.

p-0926 Beijing is working on a solution to deal with the overcrowded traffic, including a possible limitation on private car use. The number of private cars has accounted for over half the city's 1.7 million cars.

biz pic 0922 China's market research sector, which generated revenue of US$241.3 million last year, is expanding by about 30 percent annually. The increasingly intensive competition has made domestic companies resort to professional agencies for accurate figures.

biz pic 0920 China has exported 3.44 million motorcycles to over 150 countries and regions in 2002 and become the world's second biggest exporter. The nation produced 13 million motorcycles, accounting for a half of the world's total output.

biz pic 0918 Thousands of customers Wednesday flooded into the new Wal-Mart Shopping Center in Ji'nan, capital of eastern China's Shandong Province. The US retail giant plans to launch its another outlet in Qingdao a week later.

p-09/16 Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, is decked out with banners promoting the 2003 Forbes Global CEO Conference in Shanghai, which will kick off this evening and gather over 300 regional and global chief executives.

biz pic 0915 The three-day 2003 Forbes Global CEO Conference will kick off Tuesday evening in Shanghai. More than 300 prominent business leaders are expected to provide insights and perspectives about the theme of "Energizing Global Business: The China Factor".

biz pic 0912 Chain store companies are developing a growing number of goods under their own brand names as a way to survive increasingly stiffening competition in the retail sector.

biz pic 0910 The five-day Furniture China 2003, which opens Wednesday at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, has attracted more than 800 exhibitors in the furniture industry.

biz pic 0909 The 7th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened Monday morning in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

p-0908 Employees of Wangma Group demonstrate its new computer mouse specially designed for Chinese characters input in Beijing. Microsoft and IBM have bought Wangma's license to use its software.

EXP Visitors view products displayed at the 2nd Chinese International Equipment Manufacturing Expo in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 5.

biz pic 0905 The Second Chinese International Equipment Manufacturing Expo opens Sept.5 in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

p-0903 The 2nd consultation between China and the ASEAN economic ministers, with an aim to further enhance bilateral economic cooperation, opened in Phnom Penh on Wednesday morning.(file photo)

p-0902 U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow, who just starts his two-day visit to China, is due to meet Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan and Finance Minister Jin Renqing on Tuesday afternoon.

p-0901 The marketing development plan of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was officially launched Monday in Beijing.

p-0829 Walt Disney Co Ltd said it will launch Disney Princess - the third Disney brand after Pooh and Mickey - on the Chinese mainland. The company is currently looking for local retail partners.

p-0828 Six financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch are invited to discuss terms of a planned global bond sale worth US$1.5 billion in Beijing Friday. The sale is expected to include US dollar and Euro denominated bonds.

p-0826 China Banking Regulatory Commission signed a memorandum with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority at Monday's Foreign Bank China Head Meeting.

p-0823 China is expected to publish 6 new rules soon to back the HK-Mainland Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. Currently, central government is examining 273 types of Hong Kong-made products on which it agreed to apply zero tariffs.(file photo)

p-0821 China dropped the minimum 25 percent overseas investment requirement for a company to be deemed a "foreign enterprise", following its WTO entry.

p-0820 Moody's Investors Service Tuesday gave China a positive outlook and A3 investment-grade ratings. It suggested that China strengthen financial regulatory system and ensure competitiveness under a fixed exchange rate.

p-0819 Ministry of Finance announced Monday that it would issue 46 billion yuan worth of book-entry treasury bonds from August 20 to 26.

jingji A staff member (right) demonstrates to a visitor the education software developed by Hainan Xinke Computer Software Co Ltd and awarded the top prize in the sixth session of the National Multi-Media Contest at the Hainan 2003 High-Tech Achievements Trading Fair.

p-0815 Shanghai Gold Exchange has made great efforts to expand its global influence. Bloomberg and Reuters has already signed agreements with it to disclose real time stock quotations on the gold exchange to the world.

p-0813 Ministry of Commerce Wednesday said that contractual FDI in the first 7 months rose 33.96 percent to US$59.17 billion, while the actual utilized foreign capital rose 26.63 percent to US$33.35 billion.

p-0811 Latest customs statistics show that China's foreign trade totaled US$450.74 billion in the first 7 months, up 37.9 percent over the same period of last year. Exports rose 33.4 percent to US$228.41 billion and imports rose 42.9 percent to US$222.33 billion.

high-tech China's trade in high-tech products rose to about US$94.9 billion in the first six months, up 50.67 percent over the corresponding period last year and 11 percentage points higher than total trade growth, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

p-0807 Japanese Shinkansen, German maglev technology and French TGV high-speed transport system are competing fiercely in Beijing-Shanghai express railway, the US$20 billion project. China has already conducted maglev trials on a 30-kilometer section in Shanghai.

p-0805 The number of registered automobiles in Beijing, China's capital, exceeded 2 million on Monday, which include 1.28 million private ones. In the first 7 months, 190,000 vehicles have been sold here.

wangfujing A French chef introduces French food to a Chinese girl in famous Wangfujing Street in Beijing, where a five-day International Delicacy Festival started August 1, 2003.

p-0730 China's gold output rose 13 percent in the first half to 88 metric tons as rising investment and restructuring in the industry helped lower costs.

p-0728 China imported 43.8 million tons of crude oil in the first half year, up 32.8 percent over the same period last year. It is expected that 80 million tons of oil will be imported in 2003.

The 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) The 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Economic Ministers' Meeting (EMM) concluded with fruitful results Thursday in Dalian of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

European, Asian economic ministers meeting held respectively The 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Economic Ministers' Meeting (EMM) opened Thursday in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

p-07/22 Chinese consumers will be able to enjoy mangoes of different flavors from India, world's largest mango grower, next year, under a trade agreement, which allowes India to export the fruit to China for the first time next March.

Shanghai Port Shanghai Port, China's largest, handled 5.219 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in the first half of this year, up 35.6 percent year-on-year, statistics from the port administration show.

p-0717 Air China wednesday took delivery of its first A319 Airbus aircraft. More than 110 A320 planes, including 21 A319s, had gone into operation by eight airlines on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.

P-0716 The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China announced Wednesday that its NPL ratio was lowered by 3.5 percentage points to 22 percent. Central bank has previously asked four State-owned commercial banks to lower NPL ratio to less than 15 percent by 2005.

p-0715 Fifteen people from all walks of life voiced their opinions on planned changes to domestic airfare at a public hearing organized by the State Development and Reform Commission Tuesday in Beijing.

a Volkswagen AG and its Chinese partner the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) will jointly pump 3 billion euros (US$3.44 billion) into their local joint venture - Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) - over the next five years.

p-0710 In the first half year, the turnover of inter-bank trade in US dollars, euros, Japanese yen and HK dollars, was equal to US$59.075 billion, a year-on-year rise of 50 percent, China Foreign Exchange Center said Thursday.

p-0709 Assets of overseas insurers on the Chinese mainland totaled US$1.8 billion by the end of May, up 48.8 percent from a year earlier. A total of 36 overseas insurers have already begun, or have plans, to sell policies in the domestic market.

p-0708 Major cities saw marked upturn in catering trade in June, 40%-50% up over the month May, due to the control of SARS.

en-03-0705-jingji A model stands against an exhibit at the third Shenyang International Automobile Industry Expo, which opened on July 3, 2003 in the capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province. More than 450 motor manufacturers are attending the six-day Shenyang expo at the Shenyang International Exhibition Center. The expo is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors.

p-0704 Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan Thursday said that 77 countries had lifted entry restrictions against China, and cross-border tourism will return to normal with the normalization of port management.

p-0703 The China Banking Regulatory Commission Wednesday granted its first batch of financial licences under a new regulation that took effect on Tuesday.

p-0701 Southeast China's Fujian Province is encouraging overseas investment in its tourism industry. A series of preferential policies have been issued, including the exemption of land-use fees for projects worth US$3.6 million or more.

biz Workers are busy with digging ground for the base of the hydropower plants in the third phase of the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River, June 27, 2003. Some 95 percent of the cubic meters of earth and stone needed to move out for the base has now been finished.

p-0628 Lupu Bridge, Shanghai's fourth crossing over the Huangpu River, opens to traffic today. The 2.5-billion-yuan, 8.7-kilometer span is the world's tallest arch bridge at a height of 550 meters.

p-0627 A farmer guides his geese across a river in east China's Jiangsu Province. With a favorable, wet climate and abundant water reserves, many local residents make a living by raising poultry.

Waigaoqiao Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd delivered a 175,000-DWT (dead weight ton) bulk carrier, the largest of its kind ever made in China, to its Hong Kong-based owner Wednesday.

p-0624 China's commercial banks are expected to recall up to US$22 billion in short-term loans from property developers in line with new guidelines launched by the central bank.

p-0623 Summer grain harvest is expected to fall to 95 billion kg, a drop of 3.5 billion kg from last year, due to the shrinking of the country's crop acreage by 1.7 million hectares. But the per hectare output was increased by 84 kg.

CAR People look at a Benz SL500 sports car at a car exhibition in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 20, 2003. Over 40 new types of cars with 20 brands were shown at the exhibition.

p-0620 A wedding photo studio put ads on Wangfujing commercial street in Beijing to lure more customers. Due to the outbreak of SARS, the wedding photo industry meets sluggish business this year.

p-0619 By late 2002, Hainan, an island province in south China, was home to 355 Taiwan-financed agricultural businesses which had pumped up an investment of US$230 million into the island.

p-0618 The export value of lichee from south China's Guangdong Province, a major lichee producer, dropped by 75.3% during the first five months of this year to a total of US$203,000, due to SARS.

p-0617 The Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway in east China will be expanded next month to eight two-way lanes, with investment forecast at US$301 million.

p-0616 Potential homebuyers visit a property estate fair in Beijing yesterday. The Chinese capital is experiencing a building boom in commercial and residential projects fueled by a push to modernize the city in time for the 2008 Olympic Games.

biz Tourists overflow an old commercial street in north China's Tianjin June 14. The World Health Organization has rescinded its travel warning on Tianjin together with north China's Hebei Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shanxi Province.

weekends in beijing As Beijing is going to get rid of SARS, Beijingers begin to enjoy their outdoor life again. The weekend tea show on Wangfujing Dajie attracts many people on June 13.

p-0613 A worker fixes a cable at the construction site of the second phase of the Three Gorges Dam. The gigantic reservoir began storing water on June 1 and reached the target level of 135 meters on Tuesday, five days ahead of schedule.

p-0611 Flower markets have seen a growing number of visitors as people's fear of SARS eased after the epidemic is brought under control in the country.

p-0610 Silk clothes are favored by Chinese during the summer because of the light material's coolness to the skin.

p/06/06 China will export more grain this year although SARS has handicapped domestic transportation and purchasing, according to China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Import and Export Corp.

p-0603 Six domestic fund management firms are expected to sign agreements with the National Council for Social Security Fund this week, which will allow them to invest a greater proportion of pension fund in stock markets.

car A resident chooses a car at the exhibition hall of Wantong sale and services corporation in Shanghai May 27, 2003. The volume of car sales reached 239,800 during the first four months this year, including 171,563 sedans, a record high or a 73 percent rise compared to the same period of last year.

biz-0527 The Zigui Port on the upper reach of the Three Gorges in central China's Hubei Province is open to traffic May 24. The port is an important one on the Yangtze River linking the east and the west.

p-0526 Federal Express has recently received approval to conduct international business in Dalian, a tourism resort and port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, following DHL, UPS and TNT.

0523 A worker lifts yarn at the Shanghai No 17 Cottom Yarn Factory. Production lines at the factory have been in full operation, producing 80,000 meters of the yarn daily to be used in making masks.

0523 Photo shows Lujiagou Bridge under construction near Lanzhou, capital of norhtwest China's Gansu Province. The bridge is part of the 92.69-kilometer-long expressway under construction between Lanzhou and Linzhao. Gansu invested 800 million yuan in improving its infrastructure in the first four months this year, growing by 2 percent from the same period last year.

p-0522 Mobile phone users in China have surged to 226 million, edging the fixed phone lines by 3 million. By the end of April, telephone subscribers amounted to 455 million.

p-0517 Statistics from Beijing Customs show that Beijing imported US$106 million worth of medical apparatus and instruments during the first four months of this year, 54.6% up over the same period last year.

business-pic A worker stands at the production line of Jeep 2500, a new sport utility vehicle (SUV) model launched by Beijing Jeep Co Ltd on Monday. The price of the 2.5 litre jeep will be announced this week, with a maximum of 160,000 yuan (US$19,324), the company's official said.

jingji-pic Though severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has produced a negative influence on some industries, Beijing still witnessed a year-on-year 12 percent growth in its economy in April, statistics show.

p-0513 Food markets in Shanghai take a variety of measures to ensure meat, vegetable and fruit sold aren't contaminated by the SARS virus.

p-0512 Shanghaiexpo announced last week to suspend scheduled events but didn't say when to resume normal operations. Local exhibition firms have canceled some large-scale exhibitions in case of SARS.

p-0510 The Bank of China (BOC) Jakarta Branch has officially resumed business after a nearly four-decade suspension. The BOC originally established three branches in Indonesia in 1938, but business was suspended in 1964.

p-0508 By the end of April, 4,835 Shanghai companies had been licensed the export right, of which 60.3 percent were private firms.

p-0507 A worker collects medicated soaps at Shanghai Soap Co. The city's leading soapmaker supplies about 80% of China's medicated bars, which are in huge demand as SARS continues to spread across the country.

Vegetable Supply Ample Vegetable merchants unload cabbages at an agricultural product wholesale market in Beijing, China, May 1, 2003. The vegetable supply is ample in the Chinese capital during the May Day holidays.

food markets Food markets in Tianjin on International Labor Day.

p-04/30 Although demand for cars is expected to grow more than 20% annually over the next decade, mushrooming capacity and intensifying competition from foreign and domestic players could lead to long-lasting price wars, industry experts said.

p-0429 Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, the nation's No. 3 carrier, reduced 16 percent of its scheduled flights for next month, as SARS puts people off travel. Most of its chartered flights for the upcoming Labor Day holiday are also canceled.

p-04/26 Aquatic products accounted for one quarter of China's farm produce export last year, making the sector a really big fish in the small pond of the country's agricultural foreign trade.

p-0425 China Telecom released annual report in Hong Kong on April 24. Report shows the company's net profit last year rose 13.4 percent to US$2.17 billion.

p-0422 2003 Shanghai Int'l Automobile and Manufacturing Technology Exhibition opened in Shanghai Monday, about 730 auto manufacturers from 23 countries and regions participated in the exhibition.

p-0421 China Financial Reform and Development Senior Forum was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 20, 2003. Wu Xiaoling, vice governor of central bank, urged to give more financial support to rural economy.

IKEA A man walks out with a trolley loaded with commodities bought from IKEA in Shanghai, April 16, 2003. IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, opened its first shopping mall in Shanghai, which is also the biggest in Asia. With a 36,000 square-meter construction area, it costs US 80 million dollars.

p-04/18 With weather getting warm, vegetable and fruit juice are well sold in Beijing. Various health-building drinks are favored by consumers.

p-04/16 Shandong Denghai Seeds Co. and the US Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l have established the first joint venture in China to market corn seed. The joint venture will rely on its US partner for expertise in plant genetic engineering research, marketing and services to expand market share.

p-04/15 Shanghai and Sichuan, which are at the head and mouth of the Yangtze River respectively, have agreed to promote full-scale cooperation to boost economic growth in the Yangtze River valley.

p-04/11 The Bo'ao Forum for Asia, which falls on May 18 and 19 in south China's Hainan Province, will hold a tea festival in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang Province to strengthen ties between nations as tea is a world's popular beverage.

p-04/10 The 8th China Int'l Yacht and Equipment Exhibition opened on April 9 in Shanghai. Foreign businessmen set their eye on the lucrative Chinese yacht market, which is in its initial stage.

p-04/08 A 200-million-yuan project is scheduled to be launched soon to protect black soil, a rare nutrient-rich type of soil, in northeast China, for agriculture from disappearing.

p-04/07 Shanghai will invest 4 billion yuan (US$482 million) through 2005 to further clean up Suzhou Creek. The investment is part of a 12-year project that began in 1998.

p-04/03 Pearl River Delta sees a closer economic integration between HK, Guangdong and Macao. The region has been the economic powerhouse of China for the last two decades, registering the country's high growth rates.

p-0327 The tourism industry provided jobs for additional 5,267 people in Tibet and added 18 million yuan to the income of farmers and herdsmen in the region in 2002.

p-0326 The newly formed Ministry of Commerce began its operation Tuesday, replacing the decade-old Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. Approved by the First Session of the 10th National People's Congress, the new ministry will take charge of both domestic and foreign trade affairs as well as international economic cooperation.

p-0325 The China Development Forum was held in Beijing on March 23. More than 90 people including Chinese government officials, entrepreneurs at home and abroad, scholars and representatives of international organizations attended the forum.

jingji-0322 A Lioncel car is launched in Fuzhou, Southeast China's Fujian Province on March 21, 2003, as the first type of automobile ever manufactured in the province. Priced at 130,000-190,000 yuan, the Lioncel is said to be supported with technology from Japanese motor giant Mitzubishi.

p-0321 China has established a giant grain reserve depot in Dalian of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The move marks a major step of central government to directly control the grain reserves of the country.

p-03/18 In Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the value of border trade in the first two months this year hit US$257 million, 33 percent up over the same period last year.

doha A customer walks into a special shop selling Chinese products in Doha, capital of Qatar, March 15, 2003. China-made products from cars, construction machines to toys are very popular among the local people here.

p-03/14 In a blossom cherry greenhouse in Qingzhou, east China's Shandong Province. Local farmers have benefited a lot by widely adopting the greenhouses and the new planting methods.

p-03/10 KFC Corp has stepped up its localization efforts by serving a new product, "Chicken Roll of Old Beijing", blending local cuisine with its American-style fowl fare. Fried chicken is rolled in a thin pancake with scallions, cucumber slivers and traditional sauce -- typical of famous roast Peking duck.

P-0308 "Under the current international situation, we must concentrate on our own business, boost economic construction and enhance China's national strength," Jiang said during a panel discussion with deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, from Shanghai.

p-0307 More than 350 VIPs in economic, financial and commercial circles all over the world will converge in Shanghai from Sept. 16 to 18 to attend the 2003 Forbes Global CEO Conference.

p-03/05 The economy of south China's Guangdong Province set new records last year, with local GDP hitting US$141 billion, 10.8 percent higher than in 2001, and accounting for 11 percent of China's GDP.

business-03-0301 Workers decorate the stage for the 13th East China Fair (2003 Shanghai) in Shanghai Feb. 27. The fair, to kick off on Mar. 1, is the largest of its kind in China, providing 2,966 exhibiting places.

p-0227 A new computer chip, HISYS Processor, unveiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Wednesday could soon end the monopoly of foreign companies in chip designing and manufacturing.

p-0224 Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji last Thursday had urged the country's state asset supervision and management system be further improved. A new State Assets Management Committee is expected to be established in the forthcoming Tenth National People's Congress.

p-0221 China's central bank Thursday called for the country's credit policy for real estate sector to "soft land", saying that the overheating industry might bring hidden financial risks.

p-0219 Coca-Cola China Corporation began to change the packaging label with Chinese characters on Feb. 18, the first time since it reentered Chinese market in 1979.

p-0218 By the end of 2002, there were 6,960 Chinese-funded firms established in over 160 countries and regions, involving contracted funds of US$9.34 billion. China's "go out strategy" now encourages more overseas investment.

Foreign businesses have been given the go-ahead to participate in the bidding to provide the advanced generators for the multibillion-US-dollar Three Gorges Project in China, Yang Qing, deputy general manager of China Three Gorges Project Corp, said on Friday.

p-0214 The FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd. is gearing up to produce Audi A4 in Jilin Province in order to meet China's growing demand for luxury cars. Last year, a total of 36,500 Audi units were sold in China.

p-0213 Over 90 percent of China's foreign trade and half of the country's domestic transportation go through the ports. China's seven world-class ports, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Dalian, Qinhuangdao and Qingdao port, handled 37 million TEUs in 2002.

p-0210 Private businesses in Shanghai achieved about US$7.2 billion in added value last year, up 43.5 percent, and contributed 11.1 percent to the city's GDP. The city had 224,000 private firms, with a total of 2.5 million employees.

picture A man dressed as the traditional Chinese god of wealth displays a banner stating "Proud and Happy" at a Taipei brokerage on February 6, 2003, to mark the reopening of the stock market after the week-long Chinese New Year holiday.

en-03-0204-jingji The picture shows two crystal sheep in a store in Shanghai. In the year of the sheep, sheep decorations are very popular among the local people.

p-0202 China imposes a fishing ban extending for six months on Yangtze river from Feb.1. The government has taken some measures, including providing subsidies, to make up fishermen's losses.

p-0131 Chinese capital Beijing received a record 3.104 million overseas tourists in 2002, up 8.6 percent over the previous year. Overseas tourists brought a record US$375 million tourism revenue to the city.

p-0129 China will build a 20 million metric ton strategic oil reserve this year in case overseas supplies are disrupted. The amount is equal to China's oil demand for one month, costing almost US$5 billion at current price.

p-0127 As China's lunar New Year draws near, Taiwanese begin to return home from Chinese mainland by taking indirect cross-Straits charter flights or ships.

p-0123 The long-awaited Central Financial Working Conference will be held from Jan. 24 to draw China抯 financial blueprint. The conference might speed up new round of financial reform after China抯 entry into WTO.

p-0121 The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announced Monday that its forex businesses made a net profit of US$422 million in 2002. The bank has 37 overseas branches and 1,035 acting banks.

p-01/17 A department store is giving out sheep dolls to promote sales with the Spring Festival approaching. Shopping centers in China are offering all kinds of sheep products to mark the upcoming Year of the Sheep.

p-0116 Guangzhou Honda rolled out its seventh-generation 2.4 liter engines Accord Guangzhou Honda on Wednesday. The sales volume of the sixth-generation Accord had reached 139,000 by the end of 2002.

p-01/14 Exports from Macao hit US$2.14 billion in Jan.-Nov. 2002, increasing at a moderate pace, led by the rising demand for Macao-made goods in the US market.

p-0113 Tibet has witnessed an average annual GDP growth of 10.9 percent over the last five years. The region's GDP for 2002 reached US$1.92 billion and fiscal revenue hit US$88.27 million.

p-01/10 China's foreign trade volume hit US$620.79 billion in 2002, up 21.8 percent over the previous year, according to Chinese Customs statistics.

p-0108 The number of foreign banking institutions in China had reached 181, with aggregate assets worth US$37.965 billion and debts of US$33.797 billion. 53 of them can conduct RMB business in 9 cities.

p-01/07 A salesman helps a customer pick out tulips at the Jingwen Flower Mart in Shanghai. Many locals buy fresh flowers to decorate their homes for the upcoming Spring Festival.

p-01/06 In 2002 the laptop market saw a 35 percent growth in China, with an annual sales volume of 1 million.

p-0104 Seventeen tons of unqualified Philippine bananas was refused by the quarantine administration of northeast China's Liaoning province. China now pays more attention to quality standard of imported products.

p-0103 Despite tariff cuts after China's entry to WTO, the nation's customs revenue reached a record high 259.06 billion yuan (US$31.29 billion) in 2002, an increase of 3.94 percent over previous year.

p-1231 Shanghai Transrapid Maglev System, the world's first commercial maglev project, begins trial operation on Dec 31,2002. The official test run could decide whether other routes adopt the technology.

p-1230 A model posed for a photo at the Second Guangdong International Car Exhibition and Trade Fair, which was held in Dongguan of south China's Guangdong Province from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, 2003.

p-12/28 A sugar cane farmer on Hainan Island. The cross-straits, 568-km Yuehai Railway, linking Guangdong and Hainan provinces, will start operation early next year.

p-12/27 The French-built "Orient Princess'' ocean liner, 150-m long and 21-m wide, in Tanggu Port, Tianjin. The liner, launched in 1967, will be refurbished and transformed into a luxury floating hotel.

p-1226 Toyota released new-style Vizi sedan Wednesday in Tianjin, following the debut of Hyundai Sonata Monday. With increasing new models put into production, the competition in domestic car market is heating up.

p-12/25 Macao's tourism industry scored another leap in 2002, buoyed by the huge influx of China's inlanders. Macao received 10.46 million tourists in Jan.-Nov. this year.

p-12/24 On a business street with discounting signs in Hong Kong. With Christmas Day and New Year coming up, Hong Kong retailers offer discounts ranging from 40 percent to 90 percent.

p-12/23 Southwestern Chongqing Municipality will invest more than 23 billion yuan (US$2.8 bn) to build the city into a shipping hub on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River by 2010.

p-12/20 Beijing, Guangzhou, and Nanjing have started to sell gold bars to customers, the first time since 1949 that individuals in China are able to buy the precious metal.

p-12/19 Air China won an ISO9001:2000 quality system recognition certificate issued by British Standard Institution Pacific Ltd. and the Civil Aviation Heartfelt Quality Certification Co.

p-1218 Shanghai Port has handled about 8 million containers this year, becoming the biggest on the Chinese mainland.

p-1217 Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo, also standing politburo member of Communist Party of China, Monday urged more in-depth restructuring in state-owned enterprises for better efficiency and stronger competitiveness.

p-1216 China, the richest human resource nation, hosted 2002 International Human Resources Forum Sunday to discuss exploration and management of human resources.

p-1211 One year working within the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework has brought positive results to the Chinese economy.

p-1209 Shanghai and US enterprise signed an agreement on the joint design, establishment and management of Shanghai Universal Studios Theme Park on December 7, 2002.

p-12/06 Huangguoshu Falls in Guizhou Province, the largest in China. A large reservoir on the upper reaches of the fall will be built to enhance its flow in dry seasons.

p-12/05 Department stores in China rev up for the coming Christmas.

p-12/03 Of the 43 million people in China's southwest Yunnan Province, one fourth are in abject poverty. Farmers earned a yearly income of 1,500 yuan (US$180), 700 yuan below the national average.

p-12/02 After two decades of growth, the cosmetics industry has seen an annual trade volume of 40 billion yuan in China, the second in Asia and the 8th in the world.

p-11/28 The world-renowned Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant at Qianmen in Beijing posted business revenue of US$12 million by November 19 this year. The restaurant sells 600,000 roast ducks and receives 800,000 guests every year.

p-11/27 A robot developed by Shanghai Fanuc Robotics Co. Ltd. demonstrates the skill of serving drinks at the ongoing Shanghai Int'l Industry Fair.

p-1126 With the rapid growth of domestic housing market, housing financial market is booming. China's leading commercial bank ICBC has reported totle home loans of 355 billion yuan (US$42.9 billion), 12.7 percent of its lending business.

p-11/25 "Yuehaitie No.1", China's first transoceanic train ferryboat, arrived in the Qiongzhou Straits on Nov. 24, where it will operate as a railway link between Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

p-11/24 Wheat-growers in central Henan Province have 5,000 tons of quality food wheat shipped to Indonesia, marking a breakthrough in China's grain exports.

p-1121 This year's Marco Polo Award was conferred Wednesday on W Lee Nutter, CEO of specialty cellulose fibers producer Rayonier, for his work in promoting Sino-US exchange and friendship.

p-11/19 Seven established foreign chain stores will open outlets in Beijing next year. They are B&Q, OBI, Leroy Merlin, Seven-Eleven, Spain Discount, Auchan and Wal-Mart.

p-1119 World Capital Forum 2002 opens on Nov. 18, 2002 in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, attracting some 80 celebrities from China and international investment agencies.

p-1118 International Think Tank Forum began Sunday and will conclude Monday in southern China's Shenzhen City, to discuss China in the WTO -- Global Economy in Transition and the Role of China.

p-1116 By the end of October,the number of phone users on the Chinese mainland has exceeded 400 million mark, with 195.83 million mobile phone subscribers and 209 million fixed phone users respectively.

p-1115 Tourism agencies gathered in Shanghai to attend the fourth China International Tourism Mart (CITM), scheduled for November 14 to 17.

p-1114 Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng on Wednesday set a target for the country's foreign trade volume at US$2,000 billion by the year 2020, quadruple of current foreign trade figures.

p-1113 China on Wednesday begins renovating Dujiangyan irrigation system, the world's oldest functioning irrigation project currently irrigating some 667,000 hectares of farmland, at a cost of 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million).

p-11/07 Over the recent decade, the advertisement industry has flourished in China. The ad business volumes increased from 2.5 billion yuan in 1990 to 79 billion yuan in 2001.

p-1105 China's stocks all ended up yesterday due to a circular that enabled listed companies to sell non-tradable state shares and institutional shares to foreign investors.

p-1101 An employee of Guangdong Development Bank's Shanghai branch Thursday showed a newly issued transparent credit card, the first one designed for women users only in the Chinese mainland.

p-1031 Staff of the Shanghai Gold Exchange work in front of a screen showing the latest domestic and international gold prices Wednesday.

p-10/29 South China Grain Trade Center was opened in Jiujiang, east China抯 Jiangxi Province, on October 28.

The Seventh Macao International Trade and Investment Fair Opens The Seventh Macao International Trade and Investment Fair Opens.

p-1024 After more than a decade of construction boom, Shanghai is ready to host the Expo 2010, the largest ever in history.

p-1023 China's real estate sector showed steady growth from January to September with a total of 113.42 million square meters of housing built, up 26.4 percent year-on-year.

p-10/22 PetroChina Co.'s Daqing oilfield, China's largest, produced 281.2 million barrels of crude oil in the first nine months. During the period, PetroChina saw its oil output rise 0.6 percent to 577 million barrels.

p-1022 A salesman of auto credit service center briefs customer on how to purchase cars by loans at a community park. The competion gradually heats up with foreign automaker's intention of engaging in auto consumption credit services.

p-1016 The 92nd China Export Commodity Fair, the oldest and largest of its kind in China, opened on Tuesday in south China's Guangzhou City, attracting thousands of Chinese and foreign businessmen.

p-10/15 Beijing's GDP hits US$26 billion in the first nine months of this year, 9.6 percent up over the same period last year.

p-10/14 The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. will take over 10-percent share of a new General Motors-Daewoo JV, the first time for Chinese automakers to take part in regrouping and merging of global auto firms.

p-10/12 A new Air China came into being with total assets of US$6.9 billion, 22,000 employees and 118 aircraft, based on old Air China, China National Aviation Corp and China Southwest Airlines.

p-10/11 Chinese farmers who used to earn money from raising crops, have seen their incomes rise since China's reform and opening-up drive enabled them to diversify into interests other from farming.

p-10/10 Shanghai, Ningbo and Guangzhou are among the world's top ten largest ports in terms of overall capacity.

p-10/09 Two women buy a phone card from a vending machine at a shopping center in downtown Fuzhou, capital of southeastern Fujian Province. Credit and consumption cards have become increasingly popular in China.

000 Foreign reporters visit a flower nursery Oct. 5 in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. Official sources indicate that the newly emergent flower industry has become important in China, posting sales volume of 21.58 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) and export income of US$80 million last year.

123 Judges for China's first Ikebana Competition give their evaluation to the works of the contestants to the competition in China's northern coastal city of Tianjin, October 2, 2002. Nine contestants from nine provinces entered the final round of the competition.

p-1002 China Telecom is hurtling towards one of the biggest initial public offerings in the world this year, readying a $3.4-5 billion listing in October.

p-09/28 After China's WTO entry, many famous watch companies in the world have entered the Chinese market, including Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Tudor.

More Shanghainese Rent Cars for Holidays More Shanghai people are renting cars to travel over the coming National Day holiday.

p-09/26 The health-food industry will gain more momentum in China as modern science and technology have brought new recognition to food functions and nutritional ingredients.

p-09/24 China has become the most attractive foreign direct investment nation, surpassing the US for the first time, shows a survey by the consulting company A.T. Kearney.

p-0919 Leading television makers and officials currently have been making detailed preparations after winning market access to EU member states. The 15-year-long anti-dumping levies were lifted on August 29.

p-0918 China Unicom, the country's second largest mobile carrier, Tuesday announced a share price of 2.3 yuan (28 US cents) for its initial public offering (IPO) in the domestic stock market. It hopes to issue 5 billion shares and raise 11.5 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in the IPO.

p-09/13 China's imports and exports totalled US$383.5 billion in the first eight months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent.

p-09/12 China's household savings rose by 18 percent in August from a year earlier to 8.3 trillion yuan (US$1 trillion).

p-09/11 The cartoon refrigerators displayed on the Int'l Household Appliance Exhibition held from yesterday in Beijing attract local residents for their small, cute shape and favorable prices.

p-09/10 Farmers in Boxing County, Shandong Province, have prospered from their traditional cattail weaving. Their cattail products, such as mats, trays, plates and baskets, are exported to Europe and the US.

p-0909 The four-day sixth China International Fair for Investment and Trade opened Sunday in Xiamen, east China' Fujian Province.

p-09/06 Two dancers promoting the selling of apartments on the opening of 2002 Autumn Housing Exhibition in Beijing, September 5.

p-09/05 The Hangzhou Bay Bridge, one of the construction projects approved by the State Council, involves an investment of 10.7 billion yuan. The designed bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world and the first bridge built by local government in China.

p-09/03 The business volume of Internet games in China is expected to hit 700 million yuan (US$84 million) this year, official statistics show.

p-08/31 The US-China Business Building Conference was held in Beijing's Tsinghua Science Park from August 30, which attracted over 100 enterprises from US and more than 200 Chinese firms.

p-0828 Hainan's first hearing on residential electricity charges was held Monday in its capital city, Haikou. Heated debate took place between electricity suppliers and consumers.

P-0827 Individual depositors can now grant loans to SMEs for higher than average interest rates. The service, taken by Minsheng Bank, is being piloted in east China抯 Zhejiang Province, and have received warmer welcome than anticipated.

p-0822 UnionPay bankcard holder gets cash Wednesday from an ATM with a MasterCard logo. China UnionPay Co., chosen to run a unified card-payment network in China, recently became a member of MasterCard International.

p-0820 A passenger train passes through the Sanyangchuan Railway Station in northwest China's Gansu Province August 19, 2002. It marks a new railways station opened to traffic as a State's key project in Western Region

p-0819 The 12th China Qingdao International Beer Festival opens in Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province on August 17. Twenty-two famous breweries from home and abroad attended the gala and the 16-day event is expected to attract 1.2 million people.

p-0817 A Chinese man walks on an advertisement on the floor during an advertising show in Beijing August 16, 2002. After spending $3.2 billion on advertising in the first quarter of this year, China spent another $3.8 billion in the second quarter, setting another all-time high-with an increase of 33 percent over the same period last year-and ranking first again in Asia's advertising market.

p-0816 China will promulgate new rules governing the registration of website domain names at the end of next month. New rules will simplify the procedure for individuals to apply domains names with a suffix of .cn.

p-0814 Space for stores and restaurants in the Xujiahui area of southwest Shanghai was the most expensive in the city last year, renting for an average of 459 yuan (US$55.30) per square meter per month.

p-0813 The construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is in a full swing on its most difficult section of frozen soil, which is 550 kilometers long among its designed whole line of 1,118 kilometers.

p-08/12 People including parents-to-be and children visit a toy fair which displays articles for babies and children in Hong Kong August 11, 2002.

Bank Financial first: The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has opened a so-called Premier Centre in Shanghai, its first such centre for financial management services on the Chinese mainland.

p-08/08 Estee Lauder Companies Inc, one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of cosmetics products, will further strengthen its presence in China by taking full advantage of the country's robust economic growth and WTO entry.

p-08/06 Foreign fast food restaurants in China like MacDonald's and KFC begin to offer Chinese-style breakfast to attract more customers.

p-08/02 With solar power panels installed, all herdsmen and farmers in the Ali Prefecture of Tibet now have access to electricity made from solar energy.

p-07/31 In the first half of this year, China has produced 1.548 million cars and sold 1.544 million cars, 30.1 percent and 28.9 percent up respectively than last year.