Female managers have natural business skills, according to a joint survey carried out by the United Nations Development Fund for Women and China's Association of Female Entrepreneurs.

Women run about 20 percent of China's companies, and 98 percent of their companies are profitable, which is remarkable since 20 percent of China's enterprises are deficit-ridden, the survey says.

"Woman are as tenacious as men. Once they set a goal, they will march forward with resolution and courage," said Shi Qingqi, vice-director of China's Association of Female Entrepreneurs and a representative to the Chinese Women's Ninth National Congress, which opened here Friday.

Generally speaking, females are better at communication than men, said Shi, and a lot of women display more rational thinking than their gender counterparts.

According to the survey, female entrepreneurs work over ten hours each day on average, and some for 17 hours.

China's maturing socialist market economy and the government's support have contributed a lot to women's achievements, Shi said.

Some 46 percent of the female-managed enterprises in China have appeared since 1995, statistics show.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2003)