CHINA'S gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to reach 3,000 billion yuan this year for the first time in history, according to figures released last night by economists from the State Statistical Bureau.
They said the economy was set to grow at around 13 per cent this year at constant prices, up from last year's GDP of 2,400 billion yuan.
Despite the slow down in industrial growth in the second half of the year caused by Beijing's austerity programme, overall industrial growth for 1993 would still increase by 21 per cent over last year, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) quoted them as saying.
Retail sales were also expected to increase significantly. Total sales volume for 1993 was slated to reach 1.35 trillion yuan, a rise of 23 per cent or nine per cent in real terms.