The products included electronic home appliances, communication items, textiles, medicine, machines and chemicals.

Official figures showed that China produced 39.36 million sets of color TV sets last year, accounting for 29 percent of the world's total, while 14.43 million washing machines were produced, 24 percent of the world's total.

The country also maintains a leading place in the textile industry, turning out 7.33 tons of silk annually, or 70 percent of the world's total yield.

The made-in-China wave has swept the globe in recent years, and custom figures showed China has exported the most mobile phones, CD players, air conditioners and containers in the world.

Insiders noted that the rapid growth of manufacturing industry in China over the past two decades is attributed not only to a stable environment and introduction of market economy but also to investment from multinationals.

A number of global manufacturing giants, such as Microsoft, Motorola, Samsung and GE, have set up manufacturing bases and research centers in China.

China's manufacturing, however, has its own weak points and faces some problems, such as poor corporate management, high logistical costs and lack of brand names and skilled personnel, which could not be overlooked.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2002)