Debt-for-equity program speeds up

China's biggest banks are accelerating their debt-for-equity program to offload distressed debts and to help reduce high corporate leverage.

Big banks beat analysts' 2016 profit forecasts

BEIJING - Earnings reports this week from Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd, China Construction Bank Corp and Agricultural Bank of China Ltd showed that their provisions for losses on bad loans - or nonperforming loans - stabilized last year, helping them to post higher-than-estimated profits.

IN BRIEF (Page 6)

Shenzhen China Star to build displays

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd invested 35 billion yuan ($5.08 billion) on Friday to build a sixth-generation LTPS-AMOLED display screen production line in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Business-friendly measures extended

From April 1, the Shanghai government will launch a new series of policies to ease enterprises' financial burden.

Henan on right economic track

The unique geographical location of Central China's Henan province positions it perfectly to take advantage of opportunities opening up along the Belt and Road Initiative economies, said the Secretary-general of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Danny Alexander.

New soymeal futures hedge is launched

Dalian Commodity Exchange launched new soymeal futures options on Friday - the first commodity options in China - offering one more hedging tool for investors, as well as soybean processing firms.

Huawei profit stays flat, revenue growth slows

HONG KONG - Chinese telecom equipment and smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd said on Friday that its net profit edged up just 0.4 percent last year, its slowest annual growth since 2011.

China's top three airlines post combined profit of $2.4b

BEIJING - China's top three airlines reported robust combined profits, even as currency losses from a weakening yuan eroded earnings.

Xi-Trump meeting can chart course for constructive ties

Until the NATO meeting was rescheduled, there was plenty of hullabaloo over US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson planning to skip the NATO foreign ministers meeting, originally scheduled for April 5-6, in order to attend the meeting between the Chinese and US presidents.

Replicas reveal lack of pride

A Chinese version of London's Tower Bridge in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, was recently judged by netizens to look more grandiose than the original construction and it has become a popular spot for tourists to take photos.

Requirement for law enforcement recordings boosts transparency

THE STATE COUNCIL, China's Cabinet, has issued a guiding document to law enforcers nationwide, which requires them to make video and audio records of the whole process of their law enforcement. The State Council's office of legislative affairs has instructed local governments to pass regulations on the use and supervision of video and audio records in law enforcement. Southern Metropolis Daily comments: