The Chinese government will issue 40 billion yuan (US$5 billion) worth of book-entry treasury bonds with terms of maturity of up to five years, the Ministry of Finance said Thursday.

 

The bonds, the fourth batch issued this year, include 28 billion yuan worth with terms of maturity of three years, carrying an annual interest rate of 3.39 percent.

 

The remaining bonds, totaling 12 billion yuan with terms of maturity of five years, will carry an annual interest rate of 3.81percent.

 

With interest calculated from the day of purchase, the issue will run from Sep. 1 to Sep. 30.

 

The bonds will be available to public investors at the outlets of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Agricultural Bank of China, the Bank of China and China Construction Bank, and 33 commercial and city banks.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2006)