According to the results of nationwide survey on 19,500 all types of enterprises conducted by National Bureau of Statistics of China, it showed that entrepreneur confidence index (ECI) gained 139.6 in the fourth quarter, which declined 3.4 points than the third quarter, while rose 4.3 points than the same period of last year. ECIs of each quarters of 2007 respectively was 142.0, 143.1, 143.0, and 139.6, which higher than the general level of the same period of previous year, that indicated entrepreneurs had good prospects on the future economic development.

The ECIs for mining industry, wholesale and retail trade respectively was 164.4 and 146.6, which increased than the third quarter, and the same period of previous year. That of manufacturing, traffic, transport, storage and post, real estate, social services, transmission computer service and software, and lodging and catering respectively was 136.2, 141.7, 138.5, 137.2, 137.9, 138.7, 155.4, and 134.0, which dropped as compared with the third quarter; Comparing with the same period of last year, transmission computer service and software, and lodging and catering remained the general level, which the other industries promoted to some extent, especially the ECI of wholesale and retail trade was up by 10.5 points.

The ECI of collective-owned enterprises was 119.9, soaring 1.7 points than the third quarter. That of state-owned enterprises, cooperative enterprises, joint ownership enterprises, limited liability enterprises, share-holding corporation limited, private enterprises, foreign funded enterprises, and enterprises with funds form Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan respectively was 139.9, 121.7, 128.8, 138.0, 146.8, 135.5, and 144.8 points, slightly decreased over the previous quarter. Comparing with the same period of last year, ECIs for all status of registration enterprises had some extent promotion, especially the cooperative enterprises, and joint ownership enterprises was expanding 11.0 and 12.6 respectively.

The ECIs of large, medium and small sized enterprises was 156.2, 130.6, and 121.7 points respectively, fell 4.3, 2.9, and 2.8 points than the third quarter; while climbing 5.5, 3.1, and 2.6 points respectively compared with the same period of previous year.

The ECIs of eastern, middle and western region took little change with 140.2, 139.1 and 139.8, dropped 4.2, 3.4, and 1.3 points than the third quarter, while surging 3.1, 4.5, and 7.6 points respectively as compared with the same period of previous year.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China