Insurance sector assets declined in August, reflecting ebbing returns on equity investments and regular payments, the China Securities Journal reported on Wednesday, quoting the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.

Insurance assets totaled just over 3 trillion yuan (US$446.8 billion) in the first eight months of this year, down1.26 percent from the January-July period.

From January to August, premiums totaled 713.4 billion yuan, up 12.1 percent over the January-July level and up 71.38 percent year-on-year. The total included 165 billion yuan in property policies and 548 billion yuan in personal policies.

Life insurers' premiums amounted to 491.7 billion yuan nationwide, up 66.5 percent from a year earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2008)