CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 14, 2011.

BEIJING, Jan 14 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers:

- Latest statistics of the Ministry of Finance show that the national fiscal expenditure was 7.15929 trillion yuan in the first 11 months of 2010, a year on year increase of 1.535693 trillion yuan or 27.3 percent. Of this, the expenditure on indemnificatory housing was 181.75 billion yuan, up 35.1 percent.

- State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) has recently put into operation 7 intelligent substations, a key breakthrough for China's construction of a strong intelligent power gride.

- Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday called for educating the public about the Party's agenda for China's development in the next five years at a meeting in Beijing where officials made arrangements for cultural and ideological work in 2011.

- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday evening wrapped up his four-day visit to Britain, the last leg of his three-nation Europe tour, which had earlier taken him to Spain and Germany.

- Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province has granted 1.21 billion yuan of small-sum loans to 25,800 laid-off workers, thus creating employment for 66,000 people. . PEOPLE'S DAILY" (OVERSEAS EDITION)

- "Chinese language heat" has kept accelerating in the US, with more than 70 Confucius institute opened and more than 200 Confucian classes opened in 44 states in the US.

- Shougang Group, a heavyweight steel maker in China, on Thursday announced it had halted all its steel-making operations in the nation's capital.

- The State Council, Chinese cabinet, recently printed and issued the "Circular on Pilot Reform of the State Education System", which has determined 10 big reform tasks.

- Foreign trade export of Shandong Province for the first time exceeds 100 billion US dollars in 2010, making the province the fifth one with foreign trade export exceeding 100 billion dollars, after Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang.

- In the middle of the frontpage the newspaper carries a picture showing joyful children of migrant workers showing the new-year gifts they have received. XINHUA DAILY TELEGRAPH

- Ten persons from various circles at grass roots have been selected by netizens as Internet figures that have moved China in 2010 in a campaign launched by Xinhua News Agency.

- The newspaper frontpages a story deliberating on the reasons behind the continuity of the "strictest control" over real estate market.

- Shougang Group, a heavyweight steel maker in China, on Thursday announced it had halted all its steel-making operations in the nation's capital. ECONOMIC INFORMATION DAILY

- The newspaper frontpages a story stating that Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the US will set the tone for the economic and trade relations between China and the US in 2011 and even a longer time.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

- China announced on Thursday that the nation's qualified businesses and banks could settle their overseas direct investment in yuan, a move that indicates China has made a new step toward convertibility of RMB capital account as well as a move that may help promote RMB internationalization.

- The central bank of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on January 13 announced to raise benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75 percent. The ROK used to raise benchmark interest rate twice, in July and November of 2010, respectively.

- With stock price falling below the subscription price for additional share issue, Chang'an Automobile Co. Ltd (SH000625) finally fixes the issue volume at 360 million shares, and plans to raise 3.508 billion yuan, 12 percentage lower than the original plan.

SHANGHAI SECURITIES NEWS

-. The central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose to a record high of 6.5997 yuan per dollar on Thursday, breaking the strategic pass of 6.6 yuan per dollar, after obvious increase for three consecutive trading days.

- Overwhelming inflation has triggered a wave of interest rate hike among emerging economic entities. After Peru and Thailand, the central bank of the Republic of Korea announced to raise interest rate on January 13.

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