About China

China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed a growth of 7.1% in the first half of 2009. The total value added of industrial products was 9.3% lower than that in the same period of 2008. The consumer price index went down by 1.1%.

China’s light industry achieved 7% year on year growth in added value in the first four months of 2009. There are signs of recovery in certain industry sectors and regions with inventory of light industry products dropping eventually.

CHINA’S FOREIGN TRADE IN JAN-JUNE 2009

	2008 US$bn	Change %	Jan-June 09 US$bn	Change %
Exports	1428.55	17.2	521.53	-21.8
Imports	1133.09	18.5	424.59	-25.4
TOTAL	2561.64	17.8	946.12	-23.5
Trade Balance	295.46		96.94

The contractual value of China’s software exports reached US$3.38 bn (excluding embedded software) in 2008, up 80.2% year-on-year, and that of service outsourcing including ITO and BPO reached US$3.81 bn.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) IN CHINA

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China decreased by 17.9% in the first half of 2009. Used FDI dropped 17.9% to reach US$43 billion.