The Chinese capital Beijing scored 246 billion yuan (US$29.6 billion) in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000, an increase of 11 percent over the previous year.

The per capita GDP for 2000 was 22,000 yuan (US$2,650), the highest in the past five years, a municipal government official said today.

Rapid industrial growth is regarded as the leading cause of the local economic development. The city's industrial added value increased at an average of 13 percent annually in the past two years.

Local fiscal revenue, which grew at an annual rate of more than20 percent for the past five consecutive years, is expected to reach 34.24 billion yuan (US$4.125 billion) in 2000, doubling the figure five years ago.

The high-tech industry is expected to generate a total added value of 20.5 billion yuan (US$2.47 billion) for 2000, or 27.8 percent of the city's total industrial added value.

The fast economic growth in 2000 is also attributed to the successful technical innovation in traditional industrial enterprises, the improved performance of state-owned enterprises and adjustment of the agricultural structure and export product mix.

Beijing's agricultural added value for 2000 is projected to exceed nine billion yuan (US$1.08 billion), up four percent from 1999.

(Eastday 01/31/01)