China's 43 major companies will issue corporate bonds worth 60.8 billion yuan (7.5 billion US dollars) in 2006, the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) said in Beijing Friday.

The issuance is expected to help these companies with their direct financing, said the SDRC.

These companies involve the energy, aviation and space flight and transportation industries, including the State Grid Corporation of China (SG), China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC) and China National Aero-technology Import & Export Corp.

China this year issued 65.4 billion yuan in corporate bonds, more than double that in 2004.