Travel outside the mainland is becoming less popular, although travel agencies have cut the price of traveling to the US and EU countries in half.

Shares of China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd plunged in Hong Kong Thursday after the government blocked Coca-Cola Co's $2.4 billion bid for the juice maker.

The World Bank yesterday downgraded its projection for China's economic growth this year to 6.5 percent, but said the nation is still a "bright spot" in a gloomy global economy.

Mobile phone shipments in China declined 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, according to a report from research house Analysys International.

The roar of the so-called "two sessions" boom was pretty much drowned out by the wail of the global financial crisis and economic recession that is showing no sign of getting better.