China exported US$17.61 billion worth of high-tech products last month, up 33.4 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce said yesterday.

The ministry also said imported high-tech products in January increased 31.4 percent from last year to US$16.91 billion.

By category, exported mobile phones and parts totaled US$2.9 billion in January, 68.3 percent higher year on year, while the export of integrated circuits was worth US$1.29 billion, up 43 percent. Computer exports rose 16 percent to US$5.77 billion.

The ministry said this year's total export and import figures for high-tech products are expected to reach US$500 billion, compared to US$416 billion last year. This would be a growth rate of 20 percent.

China exported US$218.25 billion worth of high-tech products in 2005, according to ministry statistics, accounting for 28.6 percent of the country's overall exports for the year.

The ministry said computer exports achieved the highest value last year in terms of sector, with US$104.84 billion, up by 24.9 percent. The communications sector came next with US$72.28 billion worth of exports, up by 37.8 percent.

The opto-electronics sector had the highest export growth of 89 percent last year though its export value only came in fourth at US$7.18 billion.

According to the statistics, the high-tech imports and exports of China-based foreign-funded enterprises reached US$349.9 billion in 2005. High-tech exports accounted for over 40 percent of these enterprises' total exports for the year.

The sector, primarily information and telecommunication industries, has absorbed over US$70 billion in foreign investment in the past five years.

(China Daily February 11, 2006)