Manufacturing

China will launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, in October 2010, a top Chinese space scientist told China Daily on Thursday.

The newspaper quoted Ye Peijian, chief designer of the nation's first moon probe, as saying that the second lunar orbiter will carry different payloads and orbit the moon in a different way.

"It will orbit 100 km closer to the moon and be equipped with better facilities. We expect to acquire more scientific data about the moon with increased accuracy," he was quoted as saying.

A survey published here Wednesday showed that Chinese manufacturers are more optimistic about China's economic development than about the world economy.

About one-third of 2,067 Chinese manufacturers surveyed hold that the country's economy has walked out of "winter" and is already on the track of growth, compared to only 15 percent who said the world economy is back to growth, the survey revealed.

It also found 53 percent of the respondents think the country's economy would maintain the status quo, and yet another 13 percent hold the economy is yet to see worse times.

Survey samples include capital-intensive enterprises in the economically-developed Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions as well as those in the central and less-developed western regions of the country. These enterprises are engaged in industries covering telecommunications equipment, electronics, electric and machinery, garment, paper-making and printing.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of China's western regions rose 12.5 percent in the first nine months from a year earlier, China's top economic planner said Thursday.

The growth rate was 4.8 percentage points higher than the national rate, said a statement on the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) website.

China launched the "West Development Strategy" in January 2000 to help underdeveloped western regions catch up with the more prosperous eastern regions.

The western regions comprise 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipality, which have a combined population of about 370 million and account for 71.4 percent of the country's total land area.

Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co (BAIC), China's major carmaker, launched a new energy company in Beijing Saturday to produce pure electric and hybrid cars.

The affiliated Beijing New Energy Automotive Company is responsible for the R&D, manufacture and sales of key auto parts, electric cars, hybrid cars and charging systems, according to BAIC.

The company is expected to have an annual output of 20,000 to 40,000 new energy cars in 2011 with its own brand "Beijing."

BAIC displayed a "Beijing" electric car numbered "BE701"at the launching ceremony. The maximum speed of the car is 160 km per hour and it can run 200 km once charged up to its full, which takes one to 10 hours depending on the charging mode.

The "Beijing" electric car costs 12 kilowatt-hour electricity every 100 km. It can save more than 5,000 yuan (732 US dollars) fuel costs every 15,000 km compared with the gasoline-driven cars.

BAIC is expected to have an annual sales revenue of 15 billion yuan from the new energy cars in 2015, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of its total sales revenue.