A total of 604.61 metric tons of spot goods of gold changed hands at the Shanghai Gold Exchange last year, ranking China the first in the world in terms of annual gold transaction volume, according to the China Gold Association.

China produced 340.876 metric tons of gold in 2010, remaining as the world's largest gold production country for the fourth consecutive year.

Global demand for gold totaled 2,778.6 metric tons in 2010, including 783.4 metric tons from India, 571.51 metric tons from China and 180.9 metric tons from the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2011)