China's large industrial enterprises reported 581.1 billion yuan (US$71.65 billion) in added value in July, up 16.1 percent year-on-year, according to a monthly report released by China's National Bureau of Statistics in Beijing on Monday.

"Large industrial enterprises" refer to large state-owned companies and private businesses whose annual sales revenue exceeds 5 million yuan (about US$616,000).

According to the report, the sales ratio of industrial products stood at 98.65 percent, an increase of 0.16 percentage points over the same month last year.

The output growth rates of chemical, equipment manufacturing, non-metal mineral products and non-ferrous metal industries were between 18.7 and 21.3 percent. The output growth rates of other light industries as textile, food processing and medicine were between 18 and 28.5 percent.

The output of coal, electricity, and rolled steel increased by 10.8 percent, 14.9 percent and 28 percent respectively. The output of cement and automobiles rose by 14 percent and 27.8 percent, and that of sedans grew by 55.4 percent.

Between January and July, China's industrial production went up 16.3 percent over the same period last year, with 3.81 trillion yuan (about US$470 billion) of value added.

(eastday.com August 16, 2005)