Chinese insurance companies earned more than 64.87 billion yuan (US$9.5 billion) from their investments during the first half of 2008, for an average return of 2.4 percent, regulators said in Beijing on Tuesday.

Yuan Li, a spokesman for the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), said at a news briefing that the insurance sector deployed 17.6 percent of its investment portfolio in stocks and funds, down from 27.12 percent at the end of last year and 21.4 percent during the first quarter of this year.

The insurance sector's investment capital amounted to 2.71 trillion yuan by the end of June, up 1.3 percent from the beginning of this year, according to the CIRC.

The sector invested 290.54 billion yuan, or 10.7 percent, of its capital in stocks and 185.54 billion yuan, or 6.9 percent, of its capital in funds, down from 13.1 percent and 8.3 percent during the first quarter of this year.

Meanwhile bank deposits and bond investment accounted for 25.8 percent, or 697.78 billion yuan, and 53.6 percent, or nearly 1.45 trillion yuan, respectively.

The insurance industry's premium income rose to 561.8 billion yuan during the first half of this year, up 51.1 percent over the same period last year, and compensation totaled 154.39 billion yuan in the first six months, up 33.4 percent over the same period last year, Yuan said.

"We have received applications from Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications and Bank of Beijing to buy stakes in insurers," Yuan said, adding that the regulator is now working on the related rules with the banking regulator and will submit these to the State Council for consideration.

He also said that China Insurance Protection Fund Company will be established after completing the related legal processes.

(China Daily July 31, 2008)