Profits reaped by the industrial sector surged by 35.1 percent to 123 billion yuan (US$15 billion) during the first four months of the year over the same period in 2000, the bureau said in a press release.

But the growth rate of profits has slowed from the 46 percent recorded in the first quarter.

This indicates that the rate of growth for April alone will be even lower than the average rate, of 35.1 percent, for the first four months of the year, although the bureau did not give a breakdown for April.

The slowdown in profit growth is more notable if the growth rate of industrial production is taken into account.

Statistics released earlier by the bureau show that industrial production in the first four months grew 11.3 percent on a year-on-year basis, up from 11.2 percent in the first quarter.

The bureau did not explain why the growth rate of profits decreased.

The bureau said loss-making enterprises recorded a loss of 46 billion yuan (US$5.5 billion), down 13.8 percent over the same period last year.

Losses by loss-making State companies totalled 28 billion yuan (US$3.4 billion), down 21.3 percent.

China's industrial companies paid 169 billion yuan (US$20 billion) in taxes during the January-April period, up 14.3 percent.

But the growth of taxes has also slowed as compared with the figure of 15.8 percent recorded for the first three months combined.

Sales incomes for industrial enterprises totalled 2,676 billion yuan (US$322 billion), up 15.9 percent.

The growth rate of sales incomes however fell as compared with the rate of the first three months, which stood at 16 percent.

(China Daily 05/25/2001)