CORPORATE confidence in China's business climate fell in the third quarter of this year compared with the previous quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics reported today.

China's Business Confidence Index reached 144.7 points from July to September, climbing by eight points from a year earlier but lower than the second quarter's record 146 points, the bureau said.

The index, based on a survey of 19,500 companies around the country, rates business confidence on a scale of zero to 200, with rankings above 100 in the positive zone.

The index for the computer service and information technology sector grew to a record high 160 points, while the retail and wholesale sector also hit a record at 154.7 points.

Other sectors contributing to the index's rise include transport and storage, mail delivery and production and supply of electricity, gas and water.

The indexes for real estate, restaurants and hotels were little changed while the indexes for the mining sector and the manufacturing industry fell slightly compared with the second quarter.

Listed companies' confidence declined to 171.3 points from second quarter's 177.4 points but was still higher than a year earlier, the bureau said.