Zhejiang Provincial Statistical Bureau has released the latest figures of economic development last year.

Agriculture grows steadily

The primary sector reported a steady growth last year in east China's Zhejiang Province, with efficient, ecological agriculture gaining momentum.

According to the provincial statistical bureau, the primary sector, involving agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, realized 87.3 billion yuan (US$10.8 billion) in value-added output last year, up 1.6 percent from the previous year.

A total of 2.8 million hectares of farmland were sown to crops in Zhejiang last year, 2.1 percent more than the year-earlier level. The total included 1.5 million hectares sown to grain, up 3.9 percent, the bureau said.

However, Zhejiang's grain output went down 2.4 percent year-on-year to 8.15 million tons.

Last year the province turned out 1.65 million tons of meat products, up 2.2 percent; and 4.8 million tons of aquatic products, down 2.7 percent.

Double-digit growth in secondary industry

The secondary sector of the province realized 714.7 billion yuan (US$88.1 billion) in value-added output last year, a year-on-year growth of 12.3 percent.

The total included 490.5 billion yuan in value added output generated by major industrial enterprises in the province, up 18.1 percent.

The growth was driven up mainly by textile, clothing, furniture, arts and crafts, lumber processing, oil refining, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics and transport equipment manufacturing enterprises.

Last year, all industrial enterprises in the province reported 187.8 billion yuan in pre-tax and profits, including 107.3 billion yuan in net profits, up 13.4 percent and 11.6 percent respectively.

Meanwhile, last year also saw the hi-tech sector's gross industrial output amount to 170.6 billion yuan in the province, up 22.3 percent over the year-earlier level.

Tertiary industry grows 15%

The tertiary industry witnessed a stable expansion last year, with modern logistics, financial, property development, tourism and information service developing into new growth areas.

The provincial statistical bureau said that Zhejiang's tertiary industry realized 534.5 billion yuan (US$65.9 billion) in value-added output in 2005, up 14.9 percent over the year-earlier level. The growth rate was 2.5 percentage points higher than the province's GDP growth.

Last year saw the business turnover of post and telecommunications services increase by 24.8 percent to 83.5 billion yuan, the bureau added.

Sales of housing amounted to 108.3 billion yuan, up 24.7 percent.

Zhejiang's tourism income stood at 137.9 billion yuan last year, up 23.1 percent, according to the bureau.

20% growth in capital construction investment

Zhejiang Province pumped 665.2 billion yuan (US$82 billion) in fixed assets last year, a year-on-year growth of 15.1 percent.

According to the provincial statistical bureau, of the total 200.5 billion yuan went to capital construction projects, up 20 percent; and 238.6 billion yuan to the manufacturing sector, up 21.6 percent.

In the manufacturing sector, four categories, namely chemical, tobacco, nonferrous metal and instruments and meters enterprises, each reported a 50 percent growth in fixed-assets investment, the bureau said.

Last year also witnessed 145.5 billion yuan invested in real estate development in Zhejiang, 12.3 percent more than the year-earlier level, the bureau added.

Consumer goods market brisk

The province recorded 463.2 billion yuan (US$57.1 billion) in retail sales last year, a growth of 14.2 percent year-on-year.

Allowing for price rises, the real-term growth was 13.2 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous-year level, said the provincial statistical bureau.

Retail sales of food, garments, daily necessities and sports and recreational articles went up 19.7 percent, 23.9 percent, 17.5 percent and 28.5 percent respectively.

Last year urbanites in Zhejiang spent 12,254 yuan per capita on consumer goods, while rural dwellers spent 5,215 yuan per capita for the same purpose, up 15.2 percent and 11.9 percent respectively.

The bureau said the growth rates would be revised to 13.5 percent and 10.2 percent respectively allowing for price rises.

In a related development, Zhejiang's consumer price index, or CPI, went up 1.3 percent last year, yet the growth rate was 2.6 percentage points lower than the year-earlier level.

Energy consumption decreases

Zhejiang Province managed to reduce its energy consumption last year.

In 2005 Zhejiang's energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan of GDP stood at an equivalent to 0.78 tons of standard coal, 1.3 percent less than the previous year.

Major energy-gobbling enterprises had their energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of gross industrial output reduce 9.7 percent from 0.5 tons to 0.45 tons of standard coal.

Reduction of energy consumption has become one of the greatest concerns of the Chinese government. In the coming 15 years, the country plans to decrease energy consumption per GDP unit by 20 percent from the current level of 2.6 tons of standard coal.

In a related development, financial input in scientific and technological research made up 2.3 percent of Zhejiang's GDP last year, up two percentage points from the year-earlier level of 2.1 percent, the local statistical bureau said.

Major industrial enterprises each with an annual sales volume of more than five million yuan (US$616,522) spent 14.5 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion) on research and development and 1.19 billion yuan (US$146.7 million) buying tech results, up 43.3 percent and 23.5 percent respectively.

Residents' income continues to increase

The per-capita disposable income of urbanites reached 16,294 yuan (US$2,009) last year, a year-on-year increment of 12 percent.

Allowing for price rises, the real-term growth was 10.4 percent, said the provincial bureau of statistics.

Last year, the per-capita pure income of rural residents in Zhejiang stood at 6,660 yuan, up 9.3 percent year-on-year.

The growth rate was revised to 6.4 percent after deducting price factors, the bureau said.

Residents in both urban and rural areas had their combined outstanding savings deposits reach 912.3 billion yuan (US$112.5 billion) at the end of last year, up 17.8 percent from the year-earlier level.

In a related development, the per-capita living space increased by 2.2 square meters to 26.1 square meters for urban citizens in Zhejiang and rose 3.7 square meters to 55 square meters for rural dwellers.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2006)