In the first four months of 2002, the industrial production was up 11.2 percent over the same period last year, with an accumulated production value at 906.3 billion yuan (US$109.5 billion), the bureau said in a news release.

The industrial production for April was worth 256.9 billion yuan (US$31.06 billion).

Non-State-owned industries continued to outpace the State-owned sector, the report said.

Industrial growth at private, joint ventures and wholly foreign-funded industrial businesses rose by 13.1 percent in April over the same period last year, 2.6 percentage points faster than in the first quarter of the year, it said.

At share-holding industries, the output increased by 13.9 percent over April 2001, a 1.2 percentage point increase over the first quarter of the year, the bureau said.

Industrial production at State-owned industries and share-holding industries controlled by the state was up 10.9 percent in April over the same period last year, a 2.2 percentage point rise over the first quarter of 2002, it said.

Heavy industrial products during the month were valued at 156.4 billion yuan (US$18.91 billion), an 12.5 percent rise over the same month last year, while light industries produced 100 billion yuan (US$12.09 billion) worth of products, a 11.5 percent increase over April 2001.

Industrial exports during April were up 18.8 percent over the same month last year, valued at 153.7 billion yuan, the news release said.

Export value was up 5.1 percent over the first quarter of the year, it said.

(People's Daily May 15, 2002)