China's 68 large and medium sized iron and steel companies made 55.39 billion yuan ($8.12 billion) in profit in 2009, down 31.43 percent year on year, said a senior official from China Iron & Steel Association Tuesday.

Net profit of Southwest Securities Co Ltd, rocketed 609 percent year-on-year last year to 1.01 billion yuan ($148.1 million), the company announced in its annual report Tuesday.

Poly Real Estate Group Co Ltd(Poly), China's second largest property developer by market value, said Tuesday its January sales based on signed contracts soared over 140 percent from a year earlier.

XCMG Construction Machinery CO Ltd (XCMG), China's largest construction machinery maker, said Tuesday its business revenue in 2009 surged 30.3 percent year on year to nearly 20.7 billion yuan ($3 billion).

Taiwan's January exports to the Chinese mainland reached $9.54 billion, the highest figure in 17 months, according to local authorities.

Beijing would strive to secure $6 billion of actually utilized foreign investment this year, an official said Monday.

China has become the target market for the world's luxury auto manufacturers as demand for upscale vehicles surged last year despite a global slump.

China's railway network has transported 5.03 million passengers as of Feb 6, the eighth day of the country's annual Spring Festival transport peak lasting from January 30 to March 10 this year, said the Ministry of Railway (MOR) Sunday.

Chinese consumers spent 166 trillion yuan ($24.3 trillion) with their bank cards last year in China, up 30.5 percent from 2008, the central bank said.

Taiwan has become a favored sightseeing destination for the Chinese mainland tourists as the number of mainland visitors to the island will increase sharply during the upcoming Spring Festival.