The software industry in China has experienced an annual average growth of 28 percent in the past five years, three times the growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the same period, according to official sources.
An official with the Ministry of Information Industry said software sales volume totaled 23.8 billion yuan (US$2.87 billion) last year, compared with 6.8 billion (US$819 million) in 1995.
According to statistics released by China Software Industry Association, there are now about 330,000 employees in the software industry, including 180,000 technicians.
Sales volume of the country's software giants, the Founder Group Corp. of Peking University, China Computer Software and Technology Service Corporation, Neu-Alpine Software Co. Ltd, has each exceeded one billion yuan (US$100 million) last year.
Experts said the rapid development of China's software industry has contributed greatly to the country's information industry and information-based economic sectors.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/05/2001)
