In the first seven months of this year, trade between China's mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) reached US$105.86 billion, a 23.2 percent rise over the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The mainland's exports to Hong Kong totaled US$99.02 billion, 23.9 percent up over the same period of last year, while its imports from Hong Kong rose 14.2 percent to stand at US$6.84 billion.

The mainland reported 8,782 investment projects from Hong Kong, up 7.6 percent, with an actual investment of US$12.32 billion, up 20 percent.

At the end of July, the mainland had attracted a total investment of US$292.08 billion from Hong Kong, which was the mainland's biggest investment source, accounting for 40.4 percent of all overseas investment.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29 2007)