H1 boom for china

China: The value of construction in China for the first half of 2006 rose +23.8% to CNY 1493 billion (US$ 187 billion) compared with the same period last year, according to a report released by its National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Total revenue for domestic contractors reached CNY 1306 billion (US$ 164 billion), up +26.1%. Profits also jumped, a massive +53.6% to CNY 23.4 billion (US$ 2.9 billion). The report said domestic contractors built 2.63 billion m² of floor space – residential and non-residential – in H1 2006, up +19.7% on H1 2005.

Under NBS definitions 'construction companies' refers to general and specialist contractors.