China Reinsurance Group reaped a combined premiums income of 12.596 billion yuan (US$1.57 billion) in the first six months of the year, up 12.8 percent compared with last year, Liu Jingsheng, general manager of China Re, said on Monday.

 

The group assets hit a record 29.765 billion yuan (US$3.72 billion) in the first six months of the year, up 7.67 percent, said Liu.

 

With the end of compulsory reinsurance, China Re, China's only local reinsurance company, will run the business in a commercial way.

 

Liu noted that the group, to be transformed from a state-owned company to a stock company, will accelerate plans for a public listing.

 

China Re will invest more money and manpower in developing agricultural insurance, liability insurance, health insurance and pensions.

 

In terms of property insurance, China Re will explore new businesses by diversifying insurance demands and providing more investment-linked products.

 

A reinsurance company is a company paid by an insurance company to bear the risks of the latter's policies.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2006)