NBS's Business Climate Survey  results showed that the national business climate index (BCI) was 134.7 in the fourth quarter 2004, down by 1.2 points over the same period of previous year, and as same as that in the third quarter.

In view of industries, the BCIs for mining industry, information transmission, computer services and software industries were 162.9 and 156.5 respectively, up by 0.8 and 4.7 points over the third quarter; the BCIs for manufacturing and construction were 134.4 and 131.2 respectively, raised 1.9 and 1.0 points over the last quarter; the BCIs for real estate, hotel and catering service were 132.9 and 126.9 respectively, almost remained at the same level of the third quarter; the BCIs for the production and supply of electric power, gas and water, transportation, storage and post services, wholesale and retail trade, and social services were 138.1, 127.4, 133.0, and 122.8, down by 2.5, 5.3, 4.4 and 5.1 points respectively compared with that in the third quarter.

In view of the economic types, the BCIs for state-owned enterprises was 131.6, up 1.8 points over the third quarter; the BCIs for stock cooperatives, stock limited corporations, and private enterprises were 118.5,152.7 and 123.5 respectively, up by 6.9,1.5 and 1.4 points over the previous quarter; the BCI for enterprises invested by foreigners or investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan was 140.0, almost the same as that in the third quarter; the BCIs for collective enterprises, associated enterprises, limited-liability companies and incorporated companies were 107.2, 113.4, 132.9 and 124.8 respectively, down by 2.4, 2.3, 1.5 and 16.6 points over  the previous quarter.

In view of the size of enterprises, the BCIs for large, medium and small enterprises were 159.6, 120.8 and 109.3 respectively, remained at the same level as that in the third quarter,

In view of regions, the BCI for the east region was 138.7, dropped 0.7 points than that in the third quarter; the BCI for middle region was 132.5,1.9 points higher than that the previous quarter; the BCI for west region was 127.6, almost the same as that in the third quarter.

In view of other groupings, the BCIs for key state-owned enterprises, members of state pilot enterprise groups, quoted companies were 170.4, 169.6 and 166.6 respectively up 2.9, 2.1 and 3.3 points over the third quarter, the BCIs for town and township enterprises, state holding enterprises and high-tech industry was 134.0, 137.6 and 142.7 respectively, almost kept the same as that in the third quarter.

In addition, in view of the production operation:

The BCI for production was 122.0, somewhat dropped 3.5 points compared with that the third quarter. Of which, the BCI for industrial production was 121.8, 2.4 points lower than that in the third quarter; the BCI for construction enterprises was 135.9, down by 4.3 points over the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the BCI for sales was 123.9, down by 1.1 points. Of which, the BCI for industrial sales was 124.8, dropped 1.8 points; the BCIs for the goods sales of wholesale and retail trade, the housing sales of real estate enterpises were 120.6 and 108.6 respectively, up by 2.8 and 2.1 points over the third quarter.

The amount of product orders was somewhat dropped. The business climate index was 119.1, down by 2.7 points than that in the third quarter. In view of industries, the BCI of industrial product orders was 123.4, 2.3 points lower than that in the previous quarter; the BCI of engineering contracts of construction enterprises was 116.6, 1.2 points lower than that in the third quarter; the BCI of the needs of social services was 93.6, down by 20.3 points than that in the previous quarter, and dropped into the depression level;  the BCI for the orders of information transmission, computer services and software industries was 132.2, up by 11.6 points than that in the third quarter.

The BCI of the after-tax profits of enterprises was 117.5, almost the same as that in the third quarter. Of which, the BCIs of after-tax profits of industrial production, the wholesale and retail trade, hotel and catering service were slightly higher than that in the third quarter; the BCIs of after-tax profits of construction, real estate, and information transmission, computer services and software were distinctly higher than that in the third quarter; but the BCIs of after-tax profits of transportation, storage and post services, and social services were lower than that in the previous quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the BCI of employment was100.9, 5.5 points lower than that in the third quarter. In view of industries, the employment BCIs for industrial production, information transmission, computer services and software, hotel and catering services were lower than that in the third quarter, but still remained in the booming interval; the employment BCIs for construction industry, transportation, storage, post services, and social services were weakened gradually and dropped into the depression level; only the employment BCI for whole sale and retail trade was promoted and climbed into the booming interval.

The BCI of fixes assets investments of enterprises was 117.0, almost remained firm as that in the third quarter. In view of industries, the BCIs of fixes assets investments for all industries dropped except industrial production. The promotion of the BCIs of fixed assets investment for industrial production was mainly due to the improvement of BCIs in mining, the production and supply of electric power, gas and water; the BCIs for the above industries promoted 4.2 and 5.7 points respectively than that in the third quarter; the BCI of fixed assets investment for manufacturing almost kept the same as that in the previous quarter.