Post-quake investment booms in Sichuan (Sep 8)

Sichuan is witnessing a new wave of investment after the May 12 earthquake. Contractual foreign investment has surged 207.5 percent year on year to $4.2 billion in the first half of the year, according to official figures released by the province's bureau of commerce.

The actually utilized foreign investment has amounted to $1.81 billion, increasing by 107.9 percent, the official source says.

Chengdu, capital of the province, is leading the boom. The city's contractual foreign investment accounts for 80 percent of Sichuan's total figure with a growth rate of 218.9 percent.

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/08/content_7008337.htm; http://english.cri.cn/3130/2008/09/09/1461s403811.htm