The report cited the a recent annual survey in the air-conditioner market saying last year's sales of foreign branded products accounted for lightly more than 15percent of the total in China,dropping nearly 5percent from the previous year.

The sales slide is mainly due to the fast growth of China's domestic home appliance makers,analysts said.

Sales of made-in-China air conditioners soared almost 41percent last year to 15million.

As well as their maturing manufacturing technologies,the Chinese rivals are more adapt to low pricing strategies compared with the overseas players,the analysts added.

(Shanghai Daily March 6, 2002)