China signed 5,461 technology import contracts valued at 13.2 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2006, up 62.2 percent on the previous year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

A report of the ministry published this week said the railway transport industry signed contracts worth 3.93 billion U.S. dollars from January to June, eight times that of the same period of last year.

The electronics and telecommunications industry signed 782 technology import contracts, with the contractual value reaching 2.79 billion U.S dollars, up 150 percent.

The European Union is still the number one technology exporter to China. In the first six months, China signed 5.62 billion U.S. dollars worth of technology import contracts with the EU, a rise of 45.7 percent.

Japan and the United States ranked second and third, with technology contracts signed with China standing at 3.36 billion

and 2.08 billion U.S dollars, up 25.4 and 15.7 percent respectively.

Source: Xinhua