BREAKTHROUGH: A staff member works on an iron printing production line in Qian'an, north China's Hebei Province on November 6. This is the first high-end iron printing production line in China, with total investments of 1.1 billion yuan ($180.5 million) (ZHENG YONG)

Marine Economy

Readings from China's first ocean development index were published on November 6 and will provide valuable information as the country looks to boost its marine economy and build itself into a maritime power.

The index figures showed growth of the marine industry over a five-year period.

The Xinhua Ocean Development Index grew at an annual average rate of 23.18 percent from 2006 to 2011, much higher than the annual average economic growth rate of 10.52 percent in the same period, according to a report released at the 2013 China International Blue Economy Summit Forum in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, on November 6.

The index included four sub-indices: industry development, science and technology innovation, environmental resources and marine management.

The index is jointly released by the Xinhua (Qingdao) International Ocean Information Center and the State Financial Information Center Index Research Institute.

Chinese Cars in UAE

Sales of Chinese-made automobiles are gaining momentum in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although shares remain marginal due to Japanese and German car manufacturers' strong position in the market.

At the biennial Dubai International Motor Show, Hisam Khan, General Manager of car Naser M. Alsayer Group, the sole distributor of Chinese car brand BYD (Build Your Dreams), said, "BYD sold 350 cars in the UAE in 2012, and we will definitely increase sales amid strong demand from mostly middle-class buyers."

While this figure appears tiny compared with Japanese or German car giants operating in the UAE—German manufacturer Audi, for example, sold 3,235 units in the first nine months—Khan said that he was optimistic that Chinese cars as a brand are at the beginning of a long journey on the Gulf state's streets and desert roads.

Vehicles from China also present at the show included Foton, Chery, Dongfeng, Brilliance and Great Wall.

Great Wall had only sold commercial vehicles like pickup trucks in the UAE. Since arriving in the UAE in 2011, Great Wall has sold 4,800 units. "For 2013, we expect to sell 1,000 units for the first time, up from 702 units last year," said G. Machiner, sales manager of commercial vehicles at Dubai-based Al Naboodah, the exclusive distribution firm of Great Wall cars in the UAE.