"Although the whole industry is still increasing in terms of production volume and profit, the downward trend of the growth rate is clear."

Lu Zhengmin, deputy director of the department of market operations and consumption promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, saying that Chinese liquor companies may see only marginal growth in profits during the next six months. Lu's remarks came after Chinese liquor companies reported flat or near zero growth in profit during the first six months of the year.

"For Chinese millionaires, the key words this year are 'health' and 'happiness'."

Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report, a Shanghai-based publishing group that tracks China's wealthy, commenting on the key findings of the GroupM Knowledge-Hurun Wealth Report 2013. The report indicated that the millionaires' confidence in China's economy for the next two years continued to be on the wane, with nearly half of the respondents indicating that general health and lack of exercise were their top concerns.

"We'll find a balance point, where we can not only maintain relatively quick growth, but also optimize the economic structure, and thus leave space for undertaking further reforms."

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, saying China will reiterate its multiple targets for monetary policies, to make sure that the monetary stance takes economic growth, employment, inflation and the international payment situation into account.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/23/2013 page18)