UPDATE 1-PRESS DIGEST - China -April 3

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BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 3 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Thursday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

-- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in a research report forecast that China's March CPI would rise an annualised 8.2 percent, while the rise for the first quarter was estimated at 8 percent, as inflationary pressures continue to mount.

-- China's new corporate tax law, which took effect on Jan. 1 and reduces income tax for domestic companies to 25 percent from 33 percent, will help boost earnings of the country's more than 1,500 listed companies by about 10 percent this year.

-- As of April 1, 839 listed companies have released 2007 annual reports, showing total net profit of 644.6 billion yuan ($92 billion), up 44 percent from a year earlier.

SHANGHAI SECURITIES NEWS

-- Huaxia Bank Co Ltd (600015.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) shareholders approved a private placement of new shares announced last month. The mid-sized bank said it would issue 11.56 billion yuan in new shares to three institutions, including Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which said it would raise its stake in the bank to 13.7 percent from 9.9 percent via the placement.

-- CITIC Securities (600030.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), China's biggest listed brokerage, has received notification from securities regulators giving the go-ahead to set up a 1.1 billion yuan fund.