The Ministry of Finance will issue more than 25 billion yuan or 3 billion US dollars worth of book-entry treasury bonds from 2004 starting Wednesday.

The ministry made the announcement Tuesday, adding that the two-year bonds will be issued on the national inter-bank bond market and securities exchange market.

The bonds carry a fixed annual interest rate of 2.98 percent and will be floated from Wednesday to next Monday.

They will be quoted on the interbank bond market and Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges for trading in cash and repurchase starting from December 24.