Recruiting in China

CHINA mainland's insurance market expanded 14.4 percent to 564.1 billion yuan (US$73 billion) last year as the world's fastest-growing major economy generated more demand.

Insurance companies' total assets rose by 29 percent to 1.97 trillion yuan, according to documents issued at the China Insurance Regulatory Commission's annual conference in Beijing yesterday.

The premiums on property and casualty cases jumped 22.6 percent to 150.9 billion yuan, while life premiums rose 10.7 percent to 359.3 billion yuan, the regulator's chairman, Wu Dingfu, said at the conference.

China Life Insurance Co, Ping An Insurance (Group) Co and other insurers are benefiting from economic growth to sell more protection and investment products.

Government efforts to dismantle the cradle-to-grave welfare system are also spurring sales.

"The insurance industry's growth is likely to be faster in coming years, as economic expansion will make the Chinese more willing to spend on insurance products," said Tuo Guozhu, an insurance professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business.

Gross domestic product expanded 10.5 percent in 2006, down from a 10.7 percent pace over the first three quarters, National Development and Reform Commission head Ma Kai said on January 12. Still, the growth is the fastest among the world's biggest economies.

The mainland's insurance market may grow about 20 percent this year and in 2008, Tuo said.

Rapid premiums growth has made mainland insurers more attractive to investors. Shares of China Life more than quadrupled in the prior 12 months for the biggest gain among insurers worldwide, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. Ping An more than tripled and PICC Property & Casualty Co doubled in the same period.

China Life's yuan-denominated shares on January 9 more than doubled on their first day of trading on the Shanghai stock exchange, making the company the world's second-biggest insurer by market value. The surge gives Beijing-based China Life a market value of US$128 billion, surpassing ING Groep NV, Allianz SE and Axa as the biggest insurer after American International Group Inc.

China Life raised 28.3 billion yuan selling 1.5 billion shares, or 5.3 percent of its enlarged capital, on the mainland last month.

Health and accident premiums rose 19 percent to 53.9 billion yuan, Wu said.

Insurance companies' total returns on investment were 5.8 percent last year, 2.2 percentage points higher than 2005.

The changes in mainland's health and pension systems to encourage consumers to spend more and save less have also helped to boost the insurance industry, Tuo said.