China's industrial production was up 17.4 percent in April
compared with the same period last year, according to the National
Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The monthly rise was 0.2 percent lower than the previous month
but 0.8 percent higher than during the same period last year.
The country's large and medium-sized industrial enterprises
exported goods worth 571.6 billion yuan (US$73.3 billion) last
month, up 19.5 percent year-on-year.
April's output of raw coal went up by 10.5 percent to 188.5
million tons, crude oil up 2 percent to 15.4 million tons,
electricity up 15.4 percent to 247.5 billion kilowatt-hours and
crude steel up 16.5 percent to 40.3 million tons.
The ferrous metal sector recorded a 25.8-percent increase in
output, outperforming any other sector. The non-metal mineral and
transport equipment manufacturing sectors followed, with their
output rising 23.2 percent and 22.8 percent respectively.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2007)