Currency Unit Buying Selling

British pound 100 1403.86 1415.13

HK dollar 100 103.27 103.66 US dollar 100 801.08 804.3

Swiss franc 100 619.24 624.22 Singapore dollar 100 494.01 497.97 Swedish krone 100 104.13 104.96

Danish krone 100 130.44 131.49 Norwegian krone 100 121.71 122.68

Japanese yen 100 6.8756 6.9308

Canadian dollar 100 691.19 696.74

Australian dollar 100 585.91 590.61

Euro 100 973.23 981.05

Macao pataca 100 100.23 100.61

Philippine peso 100 15.67 15.8 Thai baht 100 20.52 20.69

SHANGHAI

Shares end lower

Chinese stocks fell on Friday after a report said the nation's foreign-exchange regulator may allow investment in overseas securities products, stoking concerns capital will flow out of the country.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp led the decline.

The Shanghai Composite Index, which covers yuan-denominated A shares and foreign-currency B shares, fell 4.73, or 0.4 per cent, to 1269.46 at the market close. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks the smaller market, dropped 0.98, or 0.3 per cent, to 308.98.

For the week, the Shanghai index gained 1.9 per cent and the Shenzhen index rose 1.7 per cent.

(China Daily 03/18/2006 page5)