China Life sees new business value rising in H2

HONG KONG Aug 26 (Reuters) - China Life Insurance Co Ltd (2628.HK), the world's most valuable insurer, said on Thursday that it expects its new business value to rise in the second half of the year.

China Life (601628.SS) Chief Actuary Shirley Shao said she expected new business value in the second half to grow by more than the first half. She made the remarks after the company's new business value rose a weaker-than-expected 10.9 percent in the first half from a year earlier, sparking a sell-off in China Life shares on Thursday.

Shares of China Life fell by as much as 5.5 percent in Hong Kong, and were down 2.1 percent in Shanghai. (Reporting by Kelvin Soh; Editing by Chris Lewis)