Chinese companies listed on the stock markets improved their economic performance markedly in the second quarter of the year, with the performance index rising 7.8 points to 154.5 and surpassing the national average by about 33 points.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Thursday that the index of economic performance of all Chinese enterprises reached 125.1 in the second quarter, 6.5 points higher than in the first quarter.
The NBS said the sub-index of profits has surged to an all-time high over the past few years during April-June. The profit index of the six major industries entered the positive zones simultaneously, setting a record for the past few years.
The NBS figures showed that in the second quarter, the production growth of Chinese enterprises slowed down, while orders received rose slightly. In the same time, the growth of stockpiles was kept at a relatively low rate. The index of employment also improved.
The NBS forecast that the index of performance of enterprises will continue to hold the present level at 125 points. However, it said that there are some uncertainties in the third quarter growth and that the performance index might drop a little.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/05/2001)