PRESS DIGEST - China - April 20

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 20 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Monday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

-- Yantian Port's (000088.SZ) 2008 net profit fell 11.1 percent and it said sales were forecast to drop 16.2 percent this year due to a slump in international trade amid a deepening global financial crisis.

SECURITIES TIMES

-- Wuhan Steel (600005.SS) said its first-half profit may slump more than 50 percent from a year earlier due to weak demand and asset write-offs. The steelmaker's first-quarter net profit plunged nearly 90 percent while last year's earnings fell 20 percent.

-- Chinese property developer Gemdale Corp (600383.SS) posted a 34.1 percent rise in first-quarter profit and a 2.4 percent increase in annual profit last year, despite a sluggish real estate market.

-- At the end of the first quarter, total loans outstanding at China Development Bank exceeded 3 trillion yuan ($439 billion) for the first time. More than 70 percent of new loans this year have gone to major infrastructure projects.

CHINA DAILY (www.chinadaily.com.cn)

-- China has become a major victim of trade protectionism, Deputy Commerce Minister Yi Xiaozhun said as he called for joint moves against protectionism.

PEOPLE'S DAILY

-- Provincial data in Q1 have provided a "positive indication" for China's economy.

-- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang urged more efforts to develop new energy supplies to ensure the country's energy security and to boost the economy.