Now for a look at China's industrial sector. Profits in January and February rose 16.1 percent from that of the previous year, reaching almost 970 billion yuan. That's according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Sectors which registered the highest profit growth include non-metal mineral products, power companies and pharmaceuticals. The positive trend is due to falling costs, quicker sales and a narrowing in the decline of producer prices. The bureau always gives a combined profit figure for the first two months of each year to smooth out seasonal distortions caused by the Lunar New Year holiday, when most companies are closed for the long celebrations.