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53.21 percent

Profits in China's gold mining sector surged more than 53.21 percent during the first half of 2006 if compared with the same period in 2005. Led by strong gold prices, the sector's January-June 2006 profits were 2.47 billion yuan (US$308.8 million), according to statistics provided by the China Gold Association on August 4.

7 million

More than 7 million tickets for the 2008 Olympic Games will be sold to the general public, excluding tickets reserved for the "Olympic family," which includes sponsors, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and sports federation officials, according to Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Liu promised that the tickets would be relatively inexpensive so the Chinese people would be able to afford them and attend the Games.

16 percent

Sales of production means in China are expected to exceed 17 trillion yuan (US$2.12 trillion) in 2006, an increase of 16 percent over 2005 with the general price level climbing by about 3 percent, according to a report by the Ministry of Commerce.

11.9 percent

The per capita cash income of China's rural residents was 1,797 yuan (US$225) from January to June, an increase of 11.9 percent.

16 percent

China's 166 central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) reported profits of 351.65 billion yuan (US$44 billion) during the first half of 2006, 16 percent more than during the same period in 2005.

4,000 Volvos

Four thousand China-made Volvo S40 automobiles will be sold by the end of 2006, according to their Chongqing-based manufacturer, Changan Ford Auto Company. 

10.9 percent

China's economy experienced a year-on-year surge in growth of 10.9 percent during the first half of 2006, while its total gross domestic product between January and June was valued at 9.14 trillion yuan (US$1.14 trillion). Growth during the second quarter only was reported to be 11.3 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

17.6 percent

China's oil imports soared by 17.6 percent during the first half of this year, reflecting a strongly growing economy, the government said.

5.8 percent

Housing prices in 70 large- and medium-sized cities in China continued to increase in June, going up by 5.8 percent over the same period last year. For the first six months, investment in real estate was valued at 769.5 billion yuan (US$96 billion), up 24.2 percent over the same period in 2005, a National Bureau of Statistics report said.

123 million

Internet users in China have increased to 123 million, according to the latest figure released by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC). Internet use has increased by 19.4 percent since June 2005. The survey revealed that 82.3 percent of people using the Internet in China are below 35 years old and that almost 40 percent of its netizens are 18-24.

0.5 percent

The People's Bank of China, China's central bank, increased the deposit reserve ratio of banks "excluding rural cooperative banks and credit cooperatives" by 0.5 percent beginning on August 15.

57 nations

Fifty-seven countries, including Australia, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Russia, have accepted China's status as a market economy since April 2004 when New Zealand stood out as the first to recognize China's market status, a senior official with the Ministry of Commerce said.