Last month's devastating Sichuan earthquake will boost China's economic growth, thanks to the billions due to be poured into reconstruction, according to a government think-tank.

The earthquake reconstruction will add0.3 percentage points to China's growth rate this year, the State Information Centre, a research group that is part of the government's main planning body, said yesterday.

The research confirms private sector estimates that economic losses from the earthquake are likely to be outstripped by investment in new construction and infrastructure.

The earthquake caused enormous casualties – the death toll is expected to exceed 90,000 – and left several million people homeless. However, it has had little direct impact on the country's industrial infrastructure.

According to the State Information Centre, direct losses from the earthquake will reach Rmb400bn-500bn ($58bn-$73bn, €37bn-€47bn, £30bn-£37bn) slowing growth by 0.1 percentage points. But investment resulting from the earthquake will add 0.4 percentage points.

China's economy and its industrial sector have a history of withstanding Mother Nature's wrath. China's economy grew at an annual rate of 10.6 per cent in the first quarter of this year, despite widespread disruption from ice storms and power cuts to industry and transport in January and February.

Sichuan province plays an important role in the country's agriculture sector, but economists believe the impact on farm production was also limited and will not have a significant impact on food prices. Most of the damage caused by the earthquake was in poor counties in mountainous rural areas.

Investment ahead of the August Olympic Games will boost growth in Beijing, but surrounding regions could be hit if there are extensive factory closures during the games in order to guarantee cleaner air in the capital.

一家中国政府智囊机构称，由于巨额资金将大举投入到灾后重建中，5月发生的四川大地震将推高中国经济增速。

国家信息中心(State Infromation Centre)昨日表示，地震灾后重建总体上将推高今年中国经济增速0.3个百分点。国家信息中心隶属于中国国家发改委。

该研究确认了私有经济部门的判断，即在新建筑及基础设施方面的投资可能超过地震造成的经济损失。

这场地震造成了重大人员伤亡——死亡人数预计将超过9万人——并使数百万人无家可归。但是，地震对中国的工业基础设施没有什么直接影响。

国家信息中心称，地震造成的直接经济损失将达4000亿至5000亿元人民币（合580亿至730亿美元），拉低经济增速0.1个百分点。但地震带来的投资将推高增速0.4个百分点。

中国的经济和工业部门素有经受得起自然灾害的历史。尽管1月份和2月份的暴风雪造成大范围破坏、工业与交通部门电力中断，中国第一季度经济年增长率仍达到了10.6%。

四川省在中国农业领域占有重要地位，但经济学家认为，地震对农业生产的影响亦较为有限，不会对粮食价格造成重大影响。地震造成的破坏多发生在山区的贫困乡镇。

8月奥运会开幕前的投资将推动北京的经济增长。但是，如果为了确保首都的空气更加清洁而在奥运会期间大规模关停工厂的话，北京周边地区可能会受到打击。

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