Fujian Reports Sound Economic PerformanceEast China's Fujian Province reported 156.9 billion yuan (US$18.9 billion) in GDP in the first half of the year, a 9.2 percent rise year-on-year.Local agricultural output value amounted to 32.9 billion yuan (US$3.96 billion) in the six months, up 3.8 percent on 1999 figure. Fujian sowed nearly 666,666 ha. of grain from January to June, more than two-thirds of which were high-quality paddy rice. Local industrial businesses generated 110 billion yuan (US$13.3 billion) in output value in the six-month period, up 12 percent on 1999 level, with sales growing by 19 percent and profits rising 45 percent to 3.3 billion yuan (US$397 million). Fujian earned 6.1 billion US dollars in exports in the half-year period, up 31 percent, and 3.7 billion US dollars in imports, up 7.6 percent. Retail sales of consumer's goods in Fujian totaled 65.6 billion yuan from January to June, up 11 percent on 1999 figure, the biggest growth rate in east China. Local revenues amounted to 19.1 billion yuan in the six months, up 20 percent from the previous year, with expenditures rising 14 percent to 14 billion yuan. |
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