China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Friday announced that it will issue 23.38 billion yuan (US$3.4 billion) worth of book-entry treasury bonds next week.

The three-year bonds, the 19th batch of this year, have a fixed interest rate of 2.64 percent.

The bonds will be issued from October 13-15 and start trading on October 17.

Interest will be calculated from October 13 and paid annually, with the principal and interest to be paid at maturity on October 13 in 2011.

The new issue will bring this year's book-entry T-bonds to about 951 billion yuan (US$139 billion).

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2008)