Xinhua Finance/MNI China Business Survey: Slight Rise

SHANGHAI, Jan. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance (TSE Mothers: 9399)
and Market News International (MNI), a part of the news service line of Xinhua
Finance, today announced the January Xinhua Finance/MNI China Business
Sentiment Survey. The results of the survey suggest the overall Chinese
business conditions improved slightly in January, although the results showed
a mixture of good and bad news.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200702151700.gif )
Overall Chinese business sentiment rose in January as companies reported
better financial positions, but new orders dropped and more companies were
feeling the pain from a strengthening currency.
Results in the survey were mixed and suggest companies were doing better
after adapting to a climate in which the growth of new orders has slowed
sharply while the cost of capital and inputs has continued to rise.
One reason for the better financial positions reported may have been
reflected in the results for the index on prices received; it hit 63.52 in
January, the highest level since the first survey in January 2005. That result
suggests more companies were able to charge higher prices over the previous
month.
But the result may also be a cause for concern. About halfway through the
survey period the government announced that it will institute price controls
that may limit companies from continuing to raise prices in the face of input
costs that continue to rise.
The monthly survey was conducted January 7-22.
Since its inception in January, 2005, the survey has accurately tracked
and predicted overall Chinese economic conditions, providing important
intelligence ahead of government data. The survey has been especially
important in indicating turnarounds in the economy, such as last summer's
slowdown or the pickup in activity seen since last fall.
To receive a full version of the survey, or to find out more about Xinhua
Finance and Market News International, please contact us via
mni@xinhuafinance.com
Notes to Editors:
About Xinhua Finance Limited
Xinhua Finance Limited ("XFL") is China's premier financial information
and media service provider and is listed on the Mothers Board of the Tokyo
Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399) (OTC ADRs: XHFNY). Bridging China's financial
markets and the world, Xinhua Finance's proprietary content platform,
comprising Indices, Ratings, Financial News, and Investor Relations, serves
financial institutions, corporations and re-distributors worldwide. Through
its subsidiary Xinhua Finance Media Limited (Nasdaq: XFML), XFL leverages its
content across multiple distribution channels in China including television,
radio, newspaper, magazine and outdoor media. Founded in November 1999, XFL is
headquartered in Shanghai, with offices and news bureaus spanning 11 countries
worldwide.
For more information, please visit http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
About Market News International
Market News International (MNI), a Xinhua Finance company
( www.xinhuafinance.com ), is a financial news and information company
dedicated to the global fixed income and foreign exchange markets. MNI joined
the Xinhua Finance family in March 2004, bringing its niche expertise and
extensive distribution network. Headquartered in New York, MNI has news
bureaus and offices throughout the US, Europe and Asia.
With more than twenty years of history, MNI is a fully accredited news
agency providing focused, timely, relevant and critical intelligence for
market professionals. Its press credentials are accepted by all operations of
the U.S. Government, including the White House, the Federal Reserve, both
houses of Congress, all major agencies and cabinet departments, all similar
government operations in the G-7 countries, as well as by supranational
organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
More Information:

Xinhua Finance
Hong Kong/Shanghai
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +852-3196-3983, +852-9486-4364, +86-21-6113-5999
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com

Mr. Scott Zhang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5996
Email: scott.zhang@xinhuafinance.com

SOURCE Xinhua Finance Limited; Market News International

Ms. Joy Tsang, +852-3196-3983, or +86-21-6113-5999, or
joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com; Mr. Scott Zhang, +86-21-6113-5996,
scott.zhang@xinhuafinance.com, both of Xinhua Finance