PRESS DIGEST - China - March 11

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 11 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Tuesday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

-- Markets expect February consumer price inflation, which will be announced today, to come in at an 11-year high of 8.1 percent.

-- History suggests the Chinese economy will not slow after the Olympics, and inflation is expected to come under control in the second half of the year as various measures have an impact.

-- Total local and foreign currency deposits at banks in Shanghai jumped by 165.2 billion yuan ($23.3 billion) in February, a rise that was 149.3 billion yuan greater than the increase in February 2007, because of deposit rate hikes and the cooling of the stock and real estate markets.

SHANGHAI SECURITIES NEWS

-- Edible oil futures prices on Chinese exchanges plunged for a second straight day on Monday, in response to falling overseas prices and Chinese authorities' efforts to control domestic product prices. Futures companies scrambled to meet margin calls.

-- The China Aerospace Science and Technology group, whose listed arm is China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp 000901.SZ, will combine with nine other aerospace firms to inject 1 billion yuan of assets into an investment company that will focus on developing the military aerospace industry.

SECURITIES TIMES