Shanghai's gross domestic product grew at 11.8 percent during the first nine months of this year, experiencing its fastest growth rate since 1997. 
 
GDP totalled 53 billion US dollars in the first three quarters. The healthy growth was attributed to the good performance of industrial firms and the rise in investment from both the government and foreign sources.

A researcher at the Shanghai statistics bureau says the impact of SARS turned out to be weaker than expected, and although it caused temporary losses in some sectors, including tourism and transportation, it didn't change the overall rising growth rate. 

(CRI October 13, 2003)