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Statistics

Some 40,000 couples divorced while 45,000 tied the knot last year in Beijing.

Chongwen District has set up a 500,000 yuan fund (US$60,000) to reward people who report fake or pirate goods. Tipsters stand to gain a 5,000-50,000 yuan prize.

A 12.3 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) rail service will soon be completed between Beijing and Tianjin, the coastal city about 120 kilometres to the southeast of the capital. It will begin operating sometime this year.

Beijing reported a 38.8 percent rise in imports in the first two months of this year, according to the Chinese Customs.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Beijing Branch chalked up a 10.2 billion yuan (US$1.22 billion) operating profit for 2003, up 23.82 per cent on last year.

The National Development and Reform Commission raised benchmark gasoline rates by 300 yuan (US$36.3) a ton, or 8 percent on March 31, but kept prices of diesel unchanged.

China has set an auto export target of US$70 billion to US$100 billion a year by 2010, said commerce vice-minister Wei Jianguo.