47.33 million

The number of people subscribing to third-generation (3G) mobile phone services in China increased by 47.33 million in the first half of this year, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

598%

Taobao, China's largest online shopping site, said the number of hammer sales increased by 598 percent, and the number of flashlights and lifejackets sold increased nearly 20 times from July 21-23 after the heavy rains and flooding in Beijing on July 21.

20%

The China Securities Regulatory Commission said it is considering cutting stock transaction fees by around 20 percent in a bid to boost investor confidence.

10,000

High school graduates from impoverished counties are given preferential treatment in this year's college admission plan. More than 10,000 graduates from these counties will benefit, according to the Ministry of Education and other Central Government agencies.

$3.52 billion

In the first half of 2012, paid-in FDI from the EU totaled $3.52 billion, up 1.6 percent year on year, compared with a 5.1-percent drop in the first five months.

$27.24 billion

In the first half of 2012, paid-in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the service sector totaled $27.24 billion, a 2.9-percent year-on-year drop.

8.5%

In the first half of 2012, paid-in FDI in central China totaled $4.82 billion, up 8.5 percent year on year.