Beijing finished the first half of 2004 with 106.7 billion yuan (about 13 billion US dollars) in gross retail sale of consumer goods, 19.3 percent higher than the same period last year, said Municipal Commercial Affairs Bureau spokesman Yan Ligang,

Sales of automobiles were the primary sources of growth. In the first six months, Beijing residents have purchased 238,500 new cars, up 58 percent and driving up demand for gasoline.

The building material market achieved retail sales of 910 million yuan (about 110 million US dollars), an increase of 106 percent, while markets for furniture and communication devices were also booming, Yan said.

Beijing's catering and rag trades also saw steady growth at rates of 60.6 percent and 25.2 percent, respectively.

Yan said that Beijing's rural market showed a stronger growth trend, and its 22.7 percent growth rate was four percentage pointshigher than China's urban average.

Source: Xinhua