The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) will not harm the interests of ASEAN nations, but rather spur bilateral trade between the two regions, said government officials and experts yesterday.

The central government will crack down on the hoarding of undeveloped land in an effort to tackle rising property costs, officials from the Ministry of Land and Resources said.

The yellow metal's allure as a solid, tangible, intrinsically valuable store of wealth seems to be growing further in China with the nation soon set to surpass India as the biggest consumer.

The average monthly salary for graduates in Beijing is expected to rise from 2,655 yuan in 2009 to 2,815 yuan in 2010, according to a survey released by Zhaopin salary data research center last month.

Funds raised through China's IPOs will soar 73 percent to exceed 320 billion yuan this year as firms expect IPO markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen to continue to pick up in the first half of 2010, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said in a report.