IN BRIEF (Page 13)

Industry profits increase 28%

Combined profits of China's industrial enterprises of scale rose 28.2 percent year-on-year to 3.23 trillion yuan ($504.4 billion) in the first eight months, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday.

The main business sales revenue of the industrial enterprises of scale - referring to enterprises with annual sales revenue exceeding 5 million yuan each - surged 29.9 percent to 53.17 trillion yuan, said the NBS.

Daimler-BAIC deal is approved

German vehicle group Daimler AG said that it received final approval from the Ministry of Commerce for Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co Ltd, its 50-50 joint venture with BAIC Group's subsidiary Beiqi Foton Motor Co Ltd.

The company said that with a second truck plant ramping up, the joint venture will have a total annual production capacity of 160,000 trucks, under the Auman brand.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/28/2011 page13)