The economically booming Guangdong Province in south China saw consumption grow more rapidly than investment in the first 11 months of this year, said sources with the local statistical bureau on Friday.

It is the first time the consumption outdid investment in terms of growth rate since 1997, the sources added.

Between January and November, Guangdong's fixed-assets investment amounted to approximately 670 billion yuan (US$85.9 billion), a year-on-year increase of 14.8 percent over the same period of last year. The growth was 11.8 percentage points lower than the national average.

The province's retail sales in the 11-month period reached 829.9 billion yuan (US$106.4 billion), up 15.7 percent. The growth rate was 2.1 percentage points higher than the national average.

Since early 2004, the Chinese Government has taken a series of measures to cool down the overheated investment while stimulating consumption. The aim is to make domestic consumption to replace investment and export as a major driving force for the national economic growth.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)