Fast GDP Growth

The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of northeast China's Liaoning Province averaged 13,000 yuan (US$1,574) in 2002, rising 9.5 percent from the previous year, according to the provincial statistics bureau.

The province's GDP topped 545.82 billion yuan (US$66 billion), a growth of 10.2 percent year on year.

Primary industries generated 58.8 billion yuan (some US$7.1 billion) in added value, an increase of 8 percent over the same period last year.

Secondary industries reported year-on-year 9.9 percent growth to reach 261.18 billion (US$31.6 billion) yuan in added value.

Liaoning's tertiary industry increased 11.1 percent in added value to some 225.84 billion yuan (US$27.3 billion).

Foreign Trade Rises

Liaoning province reported a 9.8 percent rise in foreign trade in 2002, with the trade volume totaling over US$21.74 billion.

Exports in 2002 from the province, one of the country's traditional industrial bases, reached US$12.37 billion, up12.4 percent and 10 percentage points higher than the previous year, according to the provincial statistics bureau.

With imports topping US$9.37 billion, up 6.6 percent on2001, the province's trade surplus was 3 billion US dollars.

Exports of electronic products and machinery were worth 4.8 billion US dollars and covered 38.8 percent of total exports, up 19.2 percent and 2.5 percentage points respectively.

High-tech exports reached US$2.11 billion, up 21.1 percent and covering 17.1 percent of the total.

Total imports generated US$9.37 billion, up 6.6 percent on a yearly basis.

Overseas Investment Grows Rapidly

In 2002, Liaoning Province saw an influx of US$4.26 billion in overseas investment, up 18.7 percent over the previous year, according to provincial statistics.

Around US$3.92 billion of that amount was direct investment, up 25.8 percent on a yearly basis. The value of 2,132 signed contracts in 2002 topped US$7.43 billion, said the statistics bureau of the province.

The province approved 2,125 new foreign invested enterprises, 249 more than for 2001, said the bureau.

To improve its investment environment, Liaoning will continue careful efforts to broaden non-state investment fields, remove barriers obstructing private capital access and financially support small and medium companies, according to the bureau.

Production Grows Rapidly

The province's industrial sector achieved added value of 233.11billion yuan (US$28.22) last year, up 9.8 percent from the previous year, provincial statistics show.

The sales incomes of major state-owned and private enterprises with yearly sales over five million yuan (US$0.6 million) topped 490.48 billion yuan (US$59.3 million), up 15.3 percent on a yearly basis.

Light industry and heavy industry production generated 98.61 billion yuan (US$11.9 billion) and 391.87 billion yuan (US$47.44 billion), up 16.7 and 14.7 percent respectively overthat of 2001, statistics show.

State-owned enterprises topped 307.49 billion yuan (US$37.2 billion), up 14.4 percent from the previous year, according to the bureau.

Manufacturing industry accounted for 42.8 percent of the province's economy compared with 37.4 percent the previous year.

(Edited by china.org.cn February 8, 2003)