Profits of China's major industrial firms up 18.2 pct in first 4 months

Profits of China's major industrial firms increased 18.2 percent year on year in the first four months of this year, surpassing a rise of 15.5 percent in the first quarter, official data showed Wednesday.

Industrial firms with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.93 million U.S. dollars) saw their combined profits reach about 2.44 trillion yuan in the January-April period, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In April alone, profits of major industrial firms rose 24.7 percent compared to a year earlier, the NBS data showed.

In the same period, the operating revenue of China's major industrial firms rose by 5.2 percent year on year.

Among them, the revenue of mining and manufacturing sectors maintained double-digit growth, while high-tech manufacturing achieved a 44.8 percent year-on-year profit increase, according to the data.

Profits of China's major industrial firms up 18.2 pct in first 4 months

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited tech giant Xiaomi's auto factory in Beijing on Tuesday, getting an up-close look at the Chinese tech giant's intelligent manufacturing and automotive innovations.

Vucic test-drove the company's latest electric vehicle and toured its advanced manufacturing facilities to learn more about the technology behind the production process.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vucic is on his state visit to China from Sunday to Thursday. This is his first state visit to China and his ninth trip to the country overall.

Serbian president visits tech giant Xiaomi's auto factory