BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) – Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Friday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

– China’s steel industry expanded its losses in March compared with the first two months, despite a 4.11 percent rise in crude steel output in March from February to 42.08 million tonnes, said Luo Binsheng, deputy chief of the China Iron and Steel Association.

SHANGHAI SECURITIES NEWS

– It could take several quarters for China’s exports of machinery and electronics to recover, as these are not items that are subject to inelastic demand by foreign customers, said China’s commerce minister Chen Deming.

– Combined currency assets of China’s financial institutions came to 69.4 trillion yuan ($10,160 billion) as of the end of March, up 25.1 percent from a year earlier, while total debts rose 25.4 percent to 6.55 trillion yuan, data provided by the country’s banking regulator showed.

– China’s big four state banks increased their lending by 994.3 billion yuan in March, accounting for 52.6 percent of increased bank lending in the country, data provided by the central bank showed.

– State aircraft maker Aviation Industry Corp of China has secured a five-year credit line worth 100 billion yuan from China Export-Import Bank to help boost its trade and expansion overseas.

– Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK) said its 2008 net profit rose 191 percent to 879 million yuan, while its vehicle sales rose 12 percent to 204,205 units.