Though attacked by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) last year, Beijing saw a fast economic growth rate, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

The growth was mainly fueled by industry, which achieved 101.73billion yuan (US$12.26 billion) of added value last year, up 12 percent year-on-year. It contributed 33.2 percent of the total economic growth in the city.

In the industrial sector, automotive manufacturing contributed 16.6 percent to the city's economic growth. In the past year, Beijing produced 347,000 automobiles, up 100.8 percent over the previous year.

Beijing completed 215.71 billion yuan (US$25.99 billion) of fixed assets investment last year, 0.4 percentage points up year-on-year, and retailing topped 191.67 billion yuan (US$23.09 billion), five percentage points up year-on-year.

Beijing's foreign trade topped US$68.46 billion last year.Imports hit US$51.61 billion , up 29.4 percent year-on-year and exports hit US$16.85 billion, up 33.6 percent year-on-year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2004)