Great Wall eyes 67% sales rise

Great Wall Motor Co Ltd, the mainland's largest maker of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), aims to sell 67 percent more vehicles in 2008 than last year, banking on new models boosting sales both at home and overseas. Great Wall has set its sales target at 200,000 vehicles this year, up from 120,000 in 2007. Exports, mostly to emerging markets, are estimated to rise sharply to 80,000 units in 2008 from roughly 50,000 units last year, a senior executive said.

China Life invests $300m in Visa

China Life Insurance Co, the country's biggest life insurer, said yesterday that it has invested $300 million in Visa Inc's initial public offering in its maiden overseas investment. A day after Visa's record $17.9 billion IPO last Tuesday, Ping An Insurance Co Ltd, China's second-largest life insurer, paid 2.15 billion euros ($3.4 billion) for half of the investment arm of Belgian-Dutch financial group Fortis NV.

Reuters

(HK Edition 03/25/2008 page1)