The revenue of China's software industry exceeded 345 billion yuan (US$50.8 billion) in the first half of 2008, a 30 percent increase over the same period last year, an official said here on Monday.

China's share in the global market had increased from 1.3 percent in 2000 to 8.7 percent last year, ranking fourth in the world, said Zhao Xiaofan, an official in charge of the software industry with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"The environment is favorable for the development of the software industry," Zhao said at the ongoing 12th Xiamen International Trade and Investment Fair in the southeast Fujian Province.

China's software industry growth rate had exceeded 30 percent in each of the last seven years.

Zhao said Chinese software enterprises were still weak against the global competition and more efforts needed to be made to promote innovation and personnel training to achieve a sustainable development of the industry.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2008)