Beijing's software exports surged 48.8 percent year-on-year to reach US$72.14 million in the first eight months this year, according to the latest statistics from Beijing Customs.

Foreign-financed firms exported over 90 percent of the software that Beijing exported in the eight-month period. Private enterprises, which started exporting software in 2001, reported 2.52 million US dollars in software exports in the first eight months this year. The figure was higher than the combined softwareexports of private enterprises in the previous two years.

State enterprises' software exports totaled 2.95 million US dollars in the January-August period, an increase of 110 percent over the same period last year.

Beijing registered 15.24 million US dollars in exports of high-tech software in the eight months to August, up 39 percent over the corresponding period last year.

Beijing's software exports have maintained growth over the past few years, with 95.64 million US dollars registered in 2002 as against 15.95 million US dollars for 1996.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2003)