The Ministry of Finance said on Friday it would float 27.11 billion yuan ($3.92 billion) worth of book-entry treasury bonds, the ninth batch of its kind this year.

The one-year bonds, with a fixed interest rate of 3.42 percent, would be issued from June 10 to June 12. Trading of the bonds would begin on June 16.

Interest will be calculated from June 10, with the principal and interest to be paid in a one-off payment upon maturity on June 10, 2009, the ministry said in a statement on its Website.

The new batch would bring such book-entry T-bonds to a total of 250 billion yuan so far this year.

The ministry announced two days ago it would float 20 billion yuan worth of "certificated treasury bonds" from June 10, the third such issue this year.

The certificated T-bonds include 14 billion yuan worth of three-year bonds and six billion yuan worth of five-year bonds. Such T-bonds, unlike book-entry T-bonds, were not transferable.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2008)