SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20549 FORM 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the month of August, 2004 China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation A6, Huixindong Street, Chaoyang District Beijing, 100029 People's Republic of China Tel: (8610) 6499-0060 (Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.) Form 20-F X Form 40-F _____ (Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.) Yes ____ No X (If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-__________.) N/A This Form 6-K consists of: 1) an announcement of resolutions passed at the tenth meeting of the second session of the board of directors, and 2) an announcement on 2004 interim results, made on August 27, 2004, in English of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (the "Registrant"). SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation By: /s/ Chen Ge ----------- Name: Chen Ge Title: Secretary to the Board of Directors Date: August 27, 2004 [GRAPHIC OMITTED] CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION (a joint stock limited company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability) (Stock code: 386) Announcement of Resolutions Passed at the Tenth Meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec Corp.") and all members of its board of directors warrant the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this announcement, and severally and jointly accept full responsibility for any misrepresentations, misleading statements or material omissions contained in this announcement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tenth Meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp. was held at the Conference Room at the 20th Floor of Sinopec Corp.'s offices on 27 August 2004 and was attended by 7 directors out of 13 directors. Mr Chen Tonghai, Chairman, Mr Wang Jiming, Vice Chairman, Messrs. Zhang Jiaren, Cao Xianghong, Liu Genyuan, Chen Qingtai and Cao Yaofeng, directors, attended the meeting. Messrs. Mou Shuling, Gao Jian, Fan Yifei, Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai, directors, were unable to attend the meeting due to business engagement. Mr. Mou Shuling appointed and authorised Mr. Cao Xianghong to attend and vote on his behalf. Mr. Gao Jian appointed and authorised Mr. Chen Tonghai, Chairman, to attend and vote on his behalf. Mr. Fan Yifei appointed and authorised Mr. Wang Jiming, Vice Chairman, to attend and vote on his behalf. Messrs. Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai appointed and authorised Mr. Chen Qingtai to attend and vote on their behalf at the meeting. A quorum as set out in the provisions of the Articles of Association was present. The meeting was convened and chaired by Mr Chen Tonghai and, after careful consideration by the directors at the meeting, the following resolutions were passed: 1. The Report on the Performance Review for the First Half of Year 2004 and Work Arrangements for the Second Half of Year 2004 was approved. 2. The Dividend Distribution plan for the First Half of Year 2004 was approved. According to the financial statements for the first half of year 2004 prepared in accordance with the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and International Financial Reporting Standards, the audited net profits were RMB15.039 billion and RMB16.151 billion, respectively. In accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Association of Sinopec Corp., profits available for distribution to shareholders shall be the lower of the amount as determined in accordance with the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and International Financial Reporting Standards. Based on the amount of RMB15.039 billion, 10% of the net profit (RMB1.504 billion) was transferred to the statutory surplus reserve and another 10% (RMB1.504 billion) was transferred to the statutory public welfare fund, and no transfer to the discretionary surplus reserve was made for the first half of the year. Taking into account the undistributed profits carried forward of RMB19.975 billion, after deducting the final dividend of year 2003 of RMB5.202 billion, profits available for distribution to the shareholders was RMB26.804 billion. On the basis of the total number of issued shares of 86,702,439,000 shares as at 30 June 2004, cash dividend per share declared is RMB0.04 (including tax). The total amount of cash dividend is RMB3.468 billion. The interim dividend will be distributed on or before Thursday, 30 September 2004 to the shareholders whose names appear on the register of members of Sinopec Corp. on Monday, 20 September 2004. 3. The financial statements for the first half of year 2004 audited by KPMG Huazhen and KPMG were approved. 4. The interim report for the first half of year 2004 was approved. 5. The proposal of adjusting investment plan for year 2004 was approved. Sinopec Corp. determines to seize the current opportunity by enhancing investment and speeding up construction progress in key projects. Accordingly, Sinopec Corp. plans to increase its capital expenditure by RMB6.12 billion from RMB50.2 billion to RMB56.32 billion in 2004 (please refer to Sinopec Corp.'s 2004 Interim Report for further details). By Order of the Board Chen Ge Secretary to the Board of Directors Beijing, PRC, 27 August 2004 As at the date of this announcement, the directors of the Company are: Messrs. Chen Tonghai, Wang Jiming, Mou Shuling, Zhang Jiaren, Cao Xianghong, Liu Genyuan, Gao Jian and Fan Yifei; the independent directors are: Messrs. Chen Qingtai, Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai; and the employee representative director is: Mr Cao Yaofeng. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION (a joint stock limited company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability) (Stock code: 386) Announcement of the 2004 Interim Results Section 1 Important Notice 1.1 The Board of Directors of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec Corp.") and the Directors warrant that there are no material omissions from, or misrepresentations or misleading statements contained in this announcement and severally and jointly accept full responsibility for the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this announcement. This announcement is a summary of the interim report. The entire report is also contained in the website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) and Sinopec Corp. (www.sinopec.com). The investors should read the interim report for more details. 1.2 No Director has any doubt as to, or the inability to warrant, the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of the interim report. 1.3 Messrs. Mou Shuling, Gao Jian, Fan Yifei, Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai, Directors of Sinopec Corp., could not attend the tenth meeting of the second session of the Board for reasons of official duties. Mr. Mou Shuling, Director of Sinopec Corp., authorised Mr. Cao Xianghong, Mr. Gao Jian, Director of Sinopec Corp., authorised Mr. Chen Tonghai, Chairman, Mr. Fan Yifei, Director of Sinopec Corp., authorised Mr. Wang Jiming, Vice Chairman and Messrs. Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai, Directors of Sinopec Corp., authorised Mr. Chen Qingtai, respectively, to vote on their behalf in respect of the resolutions put forward in the tenth meeting of the second session of the Board. 1.4 The financial statements for the six-month period ended 30 June 2004 of Sinopec Corp. and its subsidiaries ("the Company") prepared in accordance with the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") have been audited by KPMG Huazhen and KPMG, respectively, and both firms have issued standard unqualified opinions on the financial statements. 1.5 Mr. Chen Tonghai (Chairman of the Board), Mr. Wang Jiming (Vice Chairman and President), Mr. Zhang Jiaren (Director, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) and Mr. Liu Yun (Head of the Accounting Department) warrant the authenticity and completeness of the financial statements contained in this announcement. Section 2 Basic Information of Sinopec Corp. 2.1 Basic Information of Sinopec Corp. SINOPEC SINOPEC SINOPEC Stock name CORP CORP CORP [Graphic omitted] Stock code 0386 SNP SNP 600028 Place of listing Hong Kong New York Stock London Stock Shanghai Stock Stock Exchange Exchange Exchange Exchange Secretary to the Representative Authorized Representatives Board of on Securities Directors Matters Name Mr. Wang Mr. Chen Ge Mr. Chen Ge Mr. Huang Jiming Wensheng Address 6A Huixindong Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, PRC Tel 86-10-64990060 Fax 86-10-64990022 E-mail ir@sinopec.com.cn/media@sinopec.com.cn 2.2 Principal accounting data and financial indicators 2.2.1 Principal accounting data and financial indicators for the first half of 2004 prepared in accordance with the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations 2.2.1.1 Principal accounting data and financial indicators At 30 June At 31 December Item 2004 2003 Changes RMB millions RMB million (%) Current assets 117,062 96,918 20.78 Current liabilities 136,314 120,792 12.85 Total assets 422,925 390,213 8.38 Shareholders' funds (excluding minority interests) 172,276 162,946 5.73 Net assets per share (RMB/share) (Fully diluted) 1.987 1.879 5.73 Adjusted net assets per share (RMB/share) 1.961 1.850 6.00 Six-month periods ended 30 June Item 2004 2003 Changes RMB millions RMB millions (%) Net profit 15,039 9,765 54.01 Net profit before non-operating profits/losses 16,332 10,221 59.79 Return on net assets (%) (Fully diluted) 8.73 6.25 2.48 percentage points Return on net assets (%) (Weighted average) 8.82 6.24 2.58 percentage points Earnings per share (RMB/share) (Fully diluted) 0.173 0.113 53.10 Earnings per share (RMB/share) (weighted average) 0.173 0.113 53.10 Net cash flow from operating activities 21,694 29,982 (27.64) 2.2.1.2 Items under non-operating profits and losses |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Six-month period Items under non-operating profits/losses: ended 30 June 2004 RMB millions Loss on disposal of long-term equity investments 2 Written back of provisions for impairment losses in previous years (80) Non-operating expenses: (excluding normal provisions on assets provided in accordance with the Accounting Regulations for Business Enterprises) 2,189 Of which: Loss on disposal of fixed assets 1,405 Employee reduction expenses 412 Donations 49 Non-operating income (181) Tax effect (637) Total 1,293 2.2.2 Principal accounting data and financial indicators of the Company for the first half of 2004 prepared in accordance with IFRS Six-month periods ended 30 June Item 2004 2003 Changes RMB millions RMB millions (%) Operating profit 27,339 18,569 47.23 Net profit 16,151 10,727 50.56 Return on capital employed (%)* 6.17 4.47 1.70 percentage points Earnings per share (RMB/share) 0.186 0.124 50.56 Net cash flow from operating activities 19,291 28,649 (32.66) * Return on capital employed = operating profit x (1 - income tax rate)/capital employed At 30 June At 31 December Item 2004 2003 Changes RMB millions RMB millions (%) Current assets 120,102 99,328 20.91 Current liabilities 137,713 122,005 12.87 Total assets 434,937 400,818 8.51 Shareholders' funds (excluding minority interests) 178,409 167,899 6.26 Net assets per share (RMB/share) 2.058 1.937 6.26 Adjusted net assets per share (RMB/share) 2.033 1.908 6.55 2.2.3 Major differences between the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and IFRS on net profit and shareholders' funds for the first half of 2004 |x| applicable |_| inapplicable 2.2.3.1 Analysis of the effects of major differences between the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and IFRS on net profit: Six-month periods ended 30 June Item 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Net profit under the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations 15,039 9,765 Adjustments: Disposal of oil and gas properties (net of depreciation effect) 879 - Impairment losses on revaluated assets 439 - Depreciation of oil and gas properties 370 1,270 Capitalization of general borrowing costs 247 203 Acquisition of Sinopec National Star 58 58 Acquisition of Sinopec Maoming, Xi'an Petrochemical and Tahe Petrochemical - 26 Revaluation of land use rights 9 9 Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries (236) - Pre-operating expenditures (95) (100) Impairment losses on long-lived assets - (5) Effects of the above adjustments on taxation (559) (499) Net profit under IFRS 16,151 10,727 2.2.3.2 Analysis of the effects of major differences between the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and IFRS on shareholders' funds: At 30 June At 31 December 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Shareholders' funds under the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations 172,276 162,946 Adjustments: Disposal of oil and gas properties 2,139 1,260 Depreciation of oil and gas properties 11,255 10,885 Capitalization of general borrowing costs 1,372 1,125 Acquisition of Sinopec National Star (2,754) (2,812) Revaluation of land use rights (861) (870) Effect of minority interests on unrecognized losses of subsidiaries 332 61 Pre-operating expenditures (264) (169) Impairment losses on long-lived assets (113) (113) Government grants (326) (326) Effects of the above adjustments on taxation (4,647) (4,088) Shareholders' funds under IFRS 178,409 167,899 Section 3 Changes in share capital and shareholdings of the principal shareholders 3.1 Statement of changes in share capital |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 3.2 Top ten shareholders and holders of tradable shares Total number of shareholders Total number of shareholders: 302,856 at the end of the reporting (of which: domestic holders of A period shares: 291,585, overseas holders of H shares: 11,271) Top ten shareholders as at 30 June 2004 Percentage at the end of the reporting period Increase/decrease Nature of during the Number of Among total pledges lock- reporting period shares held share- Nature of Type of ups or trusts Name of shareholders (1,000 shares) (1,000 shares) holdings % Shareholders Shares held (1,000 shares) China Petrochemical Corporation 0 47,742,561 55.06 State-owned shares Non tradable 0 ("Sinopec Group Company") HKSCC (Nominees) Limited 5,036,626 16,676,244 19.23 H shares Tradable Unknown China Development Bank 0 8,775,570 10.12 State-owned shares Non tradable 0 China Cinda Asset Management Corp. 0 8,720,650 10.06 State-owned shares Non tradable 0 China Orient Asset Management Corp. 0 1,296,410 1.50 State-owned shares Non tradable 0 Guo Tai Jun An Corp. (10,428)* 586,760 0.68 State-owned shares Non tradable 293,380 (pledged) Qingdao Port Authority 0 60,000 0.07 A Shares Tradable 0 EFUND 50 Securities Investment Fund 51,906 51,906 0.06 A Shares Tradable 0 Xinghua Securities Investment Fund 33,190 48,190 0.06 A Shares Tradable 0 Xinghe Securities Investment Fund (15,799) 46,149 0.05 A Shares Tradable 0 CITIC Securities Co.,Ltd. 40,985 44,485 0.05 A Shares Tradable 0 Top ten shareholders with tradable shares as at 30 June 2004 Number of shares held Nature of Name of shareholders (1,000 shares) Shareholders HKSCC (Nominees) Limited 16,676,244 H shares Qingdao Port Authority 60,000 A shares EFUND 50 Securities Investment Fund 51,906 A shares Xinghua Securities Investment Fund 48,190 A shares Xinghe Securities Investment Fund 46,149 A shares CITIC Securities Co.,Ltd. 44,485 A shares China Southern Principal Protected Fund 40,144 A shares China Southern Sustaining Growth Fund 39,153 A shares Harvest Service Sector Fund 39,087 A shares Tian Yuan Securities Investment Fund 37,030 A shares Explanation for the relationships Except for Xinghua Securities Investment Fund and among the above shareholders Xinghe Securities Investment Fund both of which belong or activities in concert: to Huaxia Fund Management Co.,Ltd. and China Southern Principal Protected Fund, China Southern Sustaining Growth Fund and Tian Yuan Securities Investment Fund which belong to China Southern Fund Management Co., Ltd., Sinopec Corp. is not aware of any connections among other corporate shareholders. Sinopec Corp. is not aware of any connections or activities in concert between other holders of shares in circulation and is not aware of any pledges, lock-ups or trust of shareholdings of holders of H Shares. * The shares sold by Guo Tai Jun An Corp. were A shares previously purchased on the stock exchanges by Guo Tai Jun An Corp. Name of shareholders Lock-up period Lock-up periods on strategic investors or legal person subscribers of placement of new shares - - 3.3 Changes of the controlling shareholders and the actual controllers in the reporting period |_| applicable |x| inapplicable Section 4. Information about the directors, supervisors and senior management 4.1 Information about the terms of office of the directors, supervisors and senior management Since Mr. Liu Kegu, the previous director of Sinopec Corp., resigned from the Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp., the China Development Bank, which held 10.12% of Sinopec Corp.'s total share capital, nominated Mr. Gao Jian as the candidate of Sinopec Corp.'s director on 29 April 2004. At the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2003 held on 18 May 2004, Mr. Gao Jian was elected as the member of the Second Session of the Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp. 4.2 Information about the changes in the shares held by the directors, supervisors and senior management |_| applicable |x| inapplicable As at 30 June 2004, none of the directors, supervisors or senior management of Sinopec Corp. had any interest in any shares of Sinopec Corp. As at 30 June 2004, none of the directors, supervisors and senior management of Sinopec Corp. had any interests or short positions in the shares, underlying shares of the Sinopec Corp. or any associated corporations (as defined in Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance) which was recorded in the register required to be kept under section 352 of the SFO or otherwise notified to Sinopec Corp. and the Stock Exchange pursuant to the Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Companies. Section 5. Business Review and Prospects and Management's Discussion and Analysis 5.1 Business Review In the first half of 2004, the Chinese government adopted a series of macro-economic control measures, and achieved good results. The national economy maintained an upward momentum of steady growth and GDP rose by 9.7%. Demands for petroleum and petrochemical products continued to grow accordingly. According to the Company's statistics, the apparent domestic consumption of refined oil products (gasoline, diesel and kerosene including jet fuel) in the first half of this year increased by 24.6% over the same period last year whilst the apparent consumption of petrochemical products (in term of ethylene) increased by 15.59%. In the first half of 2004, prices of international crude oil fluctuated at a high level. Refining margin was improved and the chemical industries were in the rising trend of a new cycle. The Company closely monitored the changes in the domestic and overseas market of crude oil and petrochemical products, and responsively adopted effective operation measures, actively explored the market, optimised resources, rationalised structures, and maximised operation volume. As a result, the oil and gas production increased steadily, oil refining and petrochemical facilities operated at a high utilisation rate, the sales of refined oil products increased significantly and marketing structures were further optimised. At the same time, the Company further enhanced the internal reform, streamlised the assets portfolio and reinforced internal control. As a result of the joint efforts made by all the employees together with the Company, the Company achieved remarkable operating results. According to the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations, the Company's income from principal operations was RMB 265.71billion, up by 36.4% over the first half of 2003. The Company's net profit was RMB 15.04 billion, up by 54.0% over the first half of 2003. Based on the number of shares outstanding at the end of the reporting period, earnings per share were RMB 0.17. According to the International Financial Reporting Standards, turnover and other operating revenues amounted to RMB 275.44 billion, up by 34.1% over the first half of 2003. Profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 16.15 billion, up by 50.6% over the first half of 2003. Based on the number of shares outstanding at the end of the reporting period, earnings per share were RMB 0.19. The Board of Directors has decided to distribute an interim dividend of RMB 0.04 per share for the first half of 2004, which is equivalent to RMB 4.00 per ADS. 5.1.1 Production and Operation (1) Exploration and production segment In the first half of 2004, the average international crude oil price increased significantly compared with the same period last year. The Platt's global Brent spot price averaged USD 33.65 per barrel, up by 16.9% over the first half of 2003. Domestic prices of crude oil generally followed the trend in the international market. However, as there is a one-month time lag of domestic crude oil prices behind the international crude oil prices and the increase in international benchmarked prices for the Company's self-produced oil was not significant, the average crude price realised by the Company during the first half of 2004 was USD 29.62 per barrel, up by 2.5% over the same period last year. In the first half of 2004, the Company achieved good results in exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. In exploration, the Company optimised exploration plan and profile of oil and gas reserves by taking the zone exploration as the main objective and the discovery of qualified proven reserves as the primary goal. New blocks in Tahe oilfield and deep layers in Jiyang trough demonstrated good indications of oil and gas reserves, and sound results were achieved in exploration in mature fields in eastern China. Important progress was achieved in the natural gas exploration blocks such as in northeastern Sichuan. Exploration wells in 6 key blocks in Ordos, Shengli, Zhongyuan, etc. obtained commercial oil and gas flow. In addition, oil and gas were discovered in a number of major exploration wells in the new blocks in western China. In the first half of 2004, the newly added proved geological reserves of crude oil amounted to approximately 133 million tonnes, whilst the newly added geological reserves of natural gas was approximately 62.3 billion cubic meters. In development, the Company aimed to optimise its development plans and improve the quality of production capacity build-up. In the first half of 2004, newly developed production capacity of crude oil and natural gas reached 2.29 million tonnes per year and 415 million cubic meters per year, respectively. In production, the Company seized the opportunity of high crude oil prices and carefully arranged oil and gas production. The Company exercised comprehensive management over its existing oilfields and consolidated its foundation for stable output, and the production of oil and gas increased steadily. Summary of Operations of Exploration and Production Segment Six-month periods ended 30 June Changes 2004 2003 (%) Crude oil production (million barrels) 135.85 133.72 1.59 Natural gas production (billion cubic feet) 100.06 90.71 10.31 Newly added proved oil reserves (million barrels) 124.40 115.80 7.43 Newly added proved gas reserves (billion cubic feet) 872.74 276.80 215.30 Proved oil reserves at the end of the reporting period (million barrels) 3,245.73 3,302.00 (1.70) Proved gas reserves at the end of the reporting period (billion cubic feet) 3,660.30 3,515.00 4.13 Note: Crude oil production is converted at 1 tonne = 7.1 barrels, and natural gas production is converted at 1 cubic meter = 35.31 cubic feet. (2) Refining segment In the first half of 2004, in response to the significant growth of demand in the domestic market, the Company made careful arrangement so as to ensure a safe, stable, sustained, optimal and full load operation of its facilities. The Company also made serious effects in increasing the processing volume of crude oil. In addition, the Company optimised the allocation of crude oil resources, further increased the processing volume of sour crude, optimised logistics and reduced production costs. The Company also optimised product mix, increased production of diesel and high value-added products and improved profitability. Furthermore, the Company enhanced its management over the operation of production facilities, and further improved major economic and technical indicators for oil refining, such as light product yield and refining yield. Summary of Operations of Refining Segment Six-month periods ended 30 June Changes 2004 2003 (%) Crude processing volume (million tonnes) 64.98 54.70 18.79 Of which: Sour crude processing volume (million tonnes) 13.39 10.64 25.85 Refinery utilisation (%) 91.57 83.30 8.27 percentage points Gasoline, diesel oil and kerosene (including jet fuel) production (million tonnes) 39.17 32.59 20.19 Of which: Gasoline (million tonnes) 11.42 10.25 11.41 Diesel oil (million tonnes) 24.72 19.89 24.28 Kerosene (including jet fuel) (million tonnes) 3.03 2.45 23.67 Chemical feedstock (million tonnes) 8.92 8.23 8.38 Light product yield (%) 74.06 73.97 0.09 percentage point Refining yield (%) 93.10 93.07 0.03 percentage point Notes: 1. The data of the first half of 2003 and the first half of 2004 in this table includes that of Xi'an Petrochemical and Tahe Petrochemical 2. Crude processing volume is converted at 1 tonne = 7.35 barrels. (3) Marketing and distribution segment In the first half of 2004, the Company closely monitored the changes of the market, optimised logistics and marketing structure. Sales volume of refined oil products increased significantly together with a steady expansion of market share. The Company actively expanded and optimised the marketing network of refined oil products, and rationalised network layout and product logistics. In the first half of 2004, the Company's total domestic sales volume of refined oil products was up by 29.09% over the same period last year, and the volumes of retail and direct sales were up by 40.89% and 38.15%, respectively, over the same period last year. Retail and direct sales volume, as a percentage of the Company's total domestic sales volume of refined oil products increased to 76.2% from 70.2% in the same period last year. In order to meet the domestic demand for refined oil products and to maintain a balance in product mix, the Company reduced the export volume of its refined oil products. In the first half of 2004, total export volume of refined oil products was 1.85 million tonnes, representing a decrease of 43.5% from the first half of 2003. Summary of Operations of Marketing and Distribution Segment Six-month periods ended 30 June Changes 2004 2003 (%) Total domestic sales of refined oil products (million tonnes) 45.49 35.24 29.09 Of which: Retail volume (million tonnes) 25.12 17.83 40.89 Direct sales volume (million tonnes) 9.56 6.92 38.15 Wholesale volume (million tonnes) 10.81 10.49 3.05 Average annual throughput per petrol station (tonne/station) 1,986 1,612 23.20 Total number of petrol stations 30,682 29,425 4.27 Of which: Number of self-operated petrol stations 25,306 24,128 4.88 Number of franchised petrol stations 5,376 5,297 1.49 In March 2004, Sinopec won the exclusive entitlement of Sinopec Formula 1 Grand Prix China, which is another initiative of the Company's international branding strategy. The Company will make the best use of the cooperation with Formula 1 to promote the overall value of Sinopec's branding. (4) Chemicals segment In the first half of 2004, the global chemicals sector was in a new round of an upturn cycle. Prices of chemical products increased significantly, and demand in the domestic chemical market continued to grow. The Company's average price of synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, synthetic fiber, and monomers and polymers for synthetic fiber increased by 27.7%, 15.9%, 16.2% and 21.3% respectively over the first half of 2003. The Company seized the favorable opportunities and maintained operation of its chemical facilities at full load. As a result, production of major chemical products increased significantly, among which, production of synthetic resin, synthetic fiber, and synthetic rubber were up by 10.95%, 7.19%, and 13.79% respectively over the first half of 2003. In addition, the chemical product mix was improved and the portion of high value-added products such as performance compound of synthetic resin and differential fiber was further increased. The marketing model of the newly established Acrylic Fibre Sales Company achieved good results. Production of Major Petrochemical Products Unit: thousand tonnes Six-month periods ended 30 June Changes 2004 2003 (%) Ethylene 1,863 1,724 8.06 Synthetic resin 2,806 2,529 10.95 Of which: Performance compound resins 1,478 1,246 18.62 Synthetic fiber 641 598 7.19 Of which: Differential fiber 289 241 19.92 Synthetic fiber monomers and polymers 2,443 2,133 14.53 Synthetic rubber 297 261 13.79 Urea 1,322 1,154 14.56 Note: The production of chemical products in the first half of 2003 and the first half of 2004 includes that of Maoming Ethylene. 5.1.2 Cost-reduction In the first half of 2004, the Company adopted a series of measures to reduce costs: optimising the allocation of resources and logistics to reduce transportation costs, increasing the processing volume of sour crude to reduce procurement costs of crude oil, and further optimising the operation of facilities to cut down material and energy consumption. In the first half of 2004, the Company reduced its costs by a total of RMB 1.43 billion. The breakdown is as follows: RMB 250 million from the Exploration and Production Segment, RMB 380 million from the Refining Segment, RMB 400 million from the Marketing and Distribution Segment and RMB 400 million from the Chemicals Segment. In addition, the Company further carried out measures aiming at improving efficiencies through staff reduction during the first half of this year, and a total of about 8,000 employees were voluntarily terminated. 5.1.3 Capital expenditure In the first half of 2004, the Company's total capital expenditure was RMB 25.82 billion. The capital expenditure in the Exploration and Production Segment totaled RMB 10.07 billion. The layout of the addition of oil and gas reserves and production and the profile of oil and gas has been adjusted, and the sequence structure of the three class reserves of crude oil and gas was improved. The newly added production capacity of crude oil was 2.29 million tonnes per year, while the newly added production capacity of natural gas reached 415 million cubic meters per year. The capital expenditure in the Refining Segment was RMB 4.10 billion. A number of major projects were ahead of schedule: Ningbo-Shanghai-Nanjing crude oil pipeline and Tianjin-Yanshan crude oil pipeline were put into operation, revamping projects in Gaoqiao Petrochemical, Jinling Petrochemical, Yangzi Petrochemical, Xi'an Petrochemical and Tahe Petrochemical proceeded smoothly. The capital expenditure for the Chemicals Segment was RMB 2.94 billion, the second round of ethylene facility revamping project in Qilu Petrochemical will be commissioned in the second half of this year. The capital expenditure for the Marketing and Distribution Segment was RMB 8.61 billion, the construction of refined oil product pipeline in southwest China is progressing smoothly, the construction and acquisition of petrol stations in key areas achieved remarkable results, which consolidated the Company's marketing and distribution network. The capital expenditure for Corporate and Others amounted to RMB 94 million. In addition, the joint venture projects such as Shanghai Secco proceeded smoothly and the total capital expenditure incurred by the Company for these joint ventures was RMB 3.37 billion. 5.2 Principal Operations categorized by business segments and the status of the connected transactions The following table shows the principal operations categorized by business segments and the details of the connected transactions, including income from principal operations and cost of principal operations for each business segment which are extracted from Sinopec Corp.'s financial statements prepared under the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations: Increase/ Increase/ decrease of decrease of Increase/ income from cost of decrease principal principal of gross profit operations operations ratio compared compared compared to the same Income from Cost of Gross to the same to the same period of Categorised by principal principal profit period of period of preceding year business segments operations operations ratio* preceding preceding (percentage RMB millions RMB millions (%) year (%) year (%) point) Exploration and production 33,692 15,574 47.96 5.08 (1.31) 0.09 Refining 158,890 145,154 8.52 24.52 23.05 1.03 Chemicals 55,740 45,398 18.55 42.40 27.76 9.33 Marketing and distribution 157,873 138,640 12.18 41.13 41.39 (0.16) Others 35,108 34,763 0.98 23.34 23.08 0.21 Elimination of inter-segment sales (175,594) (173,431) N/A N/A N/A N/A Total 265,709 206,098 22.43 36.37 35.32 0.60 Of which: connected transactions 22,001 19,525 11.25 71.77 80.83 (4.45) Pricing policy for (1) Government-prescribed prices and government-guided prices are adopted connected transactions for products or projects if such prices are available; (2) Where there is no government-prescribed price or government-guided price for products or projects, the market price (inclusive of bidding price) will apply; (3) Where none of the above is applicable, the price will be decided based on the reasonable cost incurred plus sales taxes and reasonable profit. Reasonable cost means the average production cost of products by the same type of enterprises within regions with proximity using the same kind of raw materials. Reasonable profit means profit margin of not more than 6% of the cost incurred based on the current interest rate level set by the government. Of which: during the reporting period, the total amount of connected transactions of the principal products sold from the Company to Sinopec Group Company was RMB 12.878 billion. * Gross profit ratio = profit from principal operations/income from principal operations 5.3 Principal operations in different regions |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.4 Other operating activities with major influences on net profit |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.5 Operations of equity subsidiaries (applicable to circumstances when the return on investment is more than 10% of the listed company's net profit) |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.6 Reasons of material changes in the principal operations and their structure |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.7 Reasons of material changes in the principal operations' earning power (gross profit ratio) as compared to the preceding year |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Please refer to section 5.8. 5.8 Reasons of changes in profit composition as compared to that in the preceding year |x| applicable |_| inapplicable The financial information presented in this section are derived from the Company's audited financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with IFRS. In the first half of 2004, the Company's turnover and other operating revenues were RMB 275.4 billion and operating profit was RMB 27.3 billion, respectively, representing an increase of 34.1% and 47.2%, respectively, over those in the first half of 2003. These changes are largely attributable to the fact that the Company timely took the opportunities of the rapid growth of domestic GDP and high prices of petrochemical products, further expanded resources and market, increased processing volume of crude oil and production of ethylene, reinforced management, deepened corporate reforms, rationalised asset portfolio, and realised satisfactory results. 5.8.1 Turnover and other operating revenues In the first half of 2004, the Company's turnover and other operating revenues were RMB 275.4 billion. Of which, turnover was RMB 265.7 billion, up by 34.5% from that in the first half of 2003. This was mainly due to the fact that in the first half of 2004, prices of crude oil, petroleum products and chemical products all increased in the global market, and the Company seized the market opportunity to increase its refining throughput and sales volume of its refined products. As a result, the Company's sales volume of major petrochemical products increased significantly. The Company's other operating revenues was RMB 9.7 billion, up by 26.1% from that in the first half of 2003. This was mainly due to the increase of sales revenue from its sale of raw and auxiliary materials and other products and services to China Petrochemical Corporation and its subsidiaries (excluding the Company) ("Sinopec Group") and to third parties. The following table lists the Company's principal external sales volume and average realised prices, and changes between the first half of 2004 and the first half of 2003: Sales Volume Averaged Realised Prices (thousand tonnes) (RMB/tonne, RMB/thousand cubic meters) Six-month periods Six-month periods ended 30 June Changes ended 30 June Changes 2004 2003 (%) 2004 2003 (%) Crude oil 3,019 3,304 (8.6) 1,679 1,559 7.7 Natural gas (million cubic meters) 1,767 1,617 9.3 601 596 0.8 Gasoline 13,266 10,779 23.1 3,580 3,318 7.9 Diesel 29,096 22,025 32.1 3,044 2,823 7.8 Kerosene 2,633 2,118 24.3 2,710 2,495 8.6 Synthetic fiber monomer and polymer 1,203 1,038 15.9 7,489 6,172 21.3 Synthetic resin 2,376 2,238 6.2 7,360 5,764 27.7 Synthetic fiber 679 629 7.9 10,728 9,231 16.2 Synthetic rubber 299 261 14.6 9,301 8,024 15.9 Chemical fertilizer 1,287 1,040 23.8 1,327 1,185 12.0 Most of crude oil and a small portion of natural gas produced by the Company were internally used for its refining and chemical production. The remaining was sold to the refineries owned by Sinopec Group and other customers. In the first half of 2004, external sales revenues of crude oil and natural gas amounted to RMB 7.4 billion, up by 4.1% over the first half of 2003, accounting for 2.7% of the Company's turnover and other operating revenues. The Company's Refining Segment and Marketing and Distribution Segment sell petroleum products (mainly consisting of refined oil products and other refined petroleum products) to third parties. In the first half of 2004, the aggregate external sales revenues of petroleum products by these two segments were RMB 188.5 billion, up by 38.1% over in the first half of 2003 and accounting for 68.4% of the Company's turnover and other operating revenues. The sales revenues of gasoline and diesel increased by 39.0% from that in the first half of 2003 to RMB 136.1 billion, accounting for 72.2% of the total sales revenues of petroleum products. In the first half of 2004, the Company's external sales revenues of chemical products were RMB 50.9 billion, up by 33.6% over the first half of 2003, accounting for 18.4% of its turnover and other operating revenues. 5.8.2 Operating expenses In the first half of 2004, the Company's operating expenses were RMB 248.1 billion, up by 32.8% over the first half of 2003. The operating expenses mainly consisted of the following: Purchased crude oil, products, and operating supplies and expenses The Company's purchase of crude oil, products and operating supplies and expenses were RMB 197.1 billion, up by 36.5% over the first half of 2003, accounting for 79.5% of the operating expenses, of which: Purchase of crude oil was RMB 102.8 billion, up by 35.1% over the first half of 2003, accounting for 41.5% of the total operating expenses. To meet the increasing demands resulting from the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, the Company increased its refining throughput. In the first half of 2004, the Company's refining throughput was 63.26 million tonnes (excluding amounts processed for third parties), representing an increase of 15.67%, compared with that in the first half of 2003. The Company's average cost for crude oil was RMB 2,098 per tonne, representing an increase of 10.8% compared with that in the first half of 2003. In the first half of 2004, the Company's other purchasing expenses were RMB 94.3 billion, up by 38.1% over the first half of 2003, accounting for 38.0% of the total operating expenses. This increase was mainly due to the increased costs of outsourced refined oil products and chemical feedstock. Selling, general and administrative expenses In the first half of 2004, the Company's selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB 14.2 billion, up by 24.4% over the first half of 2003. This increase was mainly due to: o Sales expenses, such as the costs of transportation, and other service charges, supporting units etc. increased by RMB 1.2 billion, as a result of the increase in the sales volume of refined oil products and the increased proportion of retail and direct sales in total sales volume of refined oil products. o Expenses in maintenance increased by RMB 400 million. o Operating lease rentals increased by (inclusive land lease expenses) RMB 400 million. o Expenses in advertising increased by RMB 300 million. o Expenses in research and development increased by RMB 200 million. Depreciation, depletion and amortization In the first half of 2004, the Company's depreciation, depletion and amortization were RMB 14.8 billion, up by 14.1% over the first half of 2003. The increase was mainly due to the addition of property, plant and equipment as a result of capital expenditure. Exploration expenses In the first half of 2004, the Company's exploration expenses were RMB 2.5 billion, representing a decrease of 11.1% compared with that in the first half of 2003. Personnel expenses In the first half of 2004, the Company's personnel expenses were RMB 8.3 billion, which was flat with that in the first half of 2003 Employee reduction expenses The Company incurred approximately RMB 412 million of staff reduction expenses for approximately 8,000 employees who voluntarily left the Company in the first half of 2004. Taxes other than income tax In the first half of 2004, the Company's taxes other than income tax were RMB 7.8 billion, up by 25.6% over the first half of 2003. The increase was mainly attributable to the increase of consumption tax and surcharges as a result of the increase in sales volume of gasoline and diesel of the Company. Other operating expenses, net In the first half of 2004, the Company's other operating expenses (net) were RMB 3.0 billion, up by RMB 2.3 billion over the first half of 2003. The increase was mainly due to the fact that in order to allocate its internal resources more efficiently, the Company adjusted the production and operation plans for certain less efficient facilities in Chemicals and Marketing and Distribution segments, and accordingly made a provision for impairment of long-lived assets of RMB 2.3 billion representing the difference between the expected recoverable value and the net book value of these assets, up by RMB 2.1 billion over that in the first half of 2003. Personnel expenses In the first half of 2004, the Company's personnel expenses were RMB 8.3 billion, which was flat with that in the first half of 2003. Employee reduction expenses The Company incurred approximately RMB 412 million of staff reduction expenses for approximately 8,000 employees who voluntarily left the Company in the first half of 2004. Taxes other than income tax In the first half of 2004, the Company's taxes other than income tax were RMB 7.8 billion, up by 25.6% over the first half of 2003. The increase was mainly attributable to the increase of consumption tax and surcharges as a result of the increase in sales volume of gasoline and diesel of the Company. Other operating expenses, net In the first half of 2004, the Company's other operating expenses (net) were RMB 3.0 billion, up by RMB 2.3 billion over the first half of 2003. The increase was mainly due to the fact that in order to allocate its internal resources more efficiently, the Company adjusted the production and operation plans for certain less efficient facilities in Chemicals and Marketing and Distribution segments, and accordingly made a provision for impairment of long-lived assets of RMB 2.3 billion representing the difference between the expected recoverable value and the net book value of these assets, up by RMB 2.1 billion over the first half of 2003. 5.8.3 Operating profit In the first half of 2004, the Company's operating profit was RMB 27.3 billion, up by 47.2% over the first half of 2003. 5.8.4 Net finance costs In the first half of 2004, the Company's net finance costs were RMB 1.8 billion, down by 13.1% compared with that in the first half of 2003. 5.8.5 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation In the first half of 2004, the Company's profit from ordinary activities before taxation was RMB 26.0 billion, up by 55.2% over the first half of 2003. 5.8.6 Taxation In the first half of 2004, the Company's income tax was RMB 7.7 billion, up by 46.5% over the first half of 2003. 5.8.7 Minority interests In the first half of 2004, the Company's minority interests were RMB 2.2 billion, up by 178.2% over the first half of 2003, mainly due to the significant increase in the profits from the Company's subsidiaries. 5.8.8 Profit attributable to shareholders In the first half of 2004, the Company's profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 16.2 billion, up by 50.6% over the first half of 2003. 5.9 During this reporting period, there was no significant difference in terms of cash flow, source of funds and capital structure compared with the same period last year. 5.10 Use of the proceeds from share issue 5.10.1 Use of the proceeds from share issue |x| applicable |_| inapplicable 5.10.1.1 Use of the proceeds from the issue of A share Unit: RMB100 millions Total proceeds from share issue 116.48 Total amount of proceeds used in this reporting period 1.9 Total amount of proceeds already used 101.66 During the reporting period Whether the planned Amount of progress and Proposed Actual generated expected return Projects under commitment investment Any change investment revenue are satisfied southwest refined oil products pipeline project 1.9 No 1.9 -- Yes Total 1.9 1.9 * Reasons of inability to Through optimization and adjustment for southwest refined oil satisfy the planned products pipeline project, the State Council has approved the progress and expected return feasibility study report on 27 May 2003. The total investment is RMB3.54 billion. The pipeline is 1,691 km long and it is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2005. Reasons of changes and No reasons of changes of procedures 5.10.1.2 Change of projects |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.11 Business prospects and operating plan for the second half of 2004 |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Looking into the second half of 2004 for the international market, the global economy continues to maintain a good momentum of recovery. Asia will maintain its position as the most robust economy in the world, and its economy will keep growing at a high rate. The Company expects that global demand for crude oil will continue to grow in the second half of this year, with crude oil prices fluctuating at a relatively high level. Refining business will remain in a good shape and chemical industries will remain in a new round of upturn cycle. In the domestic market, as the Chinese government takes measures to adjust and optimise economic structure, the national economy will continue to grow rapidly driving the growth of the demand for petroleum and petrochemical products. At the same time, according to the undertakings made by the Chinese government for entering the World Trade Organization, the retail market of refined oil products will open to foreign players by the end of this year, and the domestic competition in the marketing of refined oil products may be more severe. By following the changes in the market, the Company will take a proactive approach, in production and management and minimize operational risks. In addition, the Company will capture the opportunities in the market and invest in and expedite the construction of major projects. Additionally, the Company will deepen reform, reinforce internal management, expand resources and market, improve efficiencies through staff reduction and ensure sustainable and effective growth. In Exploration and Production Segment, the Company intends to implement its resources strategy to accelerate the exploration and development, to seek for the addition of oil reserves in mature blocks in eastern China, breakthrough in new exploration blocks in western China and discoveries in marine phase blocks in southern China, as well as to speed up the construction of oil and gas production capacity through developing newly found reserve in the existing mature blocks and building auxilary facilities for production capacity in the new blocks while reinforcing the production and operation management to reduce the production costs of oil and gas. In the second half of 2004, the Company plans to produce 138.2 million barrels of crude oil and 104.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas. In Refining Segment, the Company will closely monitor the changes of international oil market, continue to optimise allocation of crude oil resources, increase the processing volume of sour crude to reduce the purchasing costs of crude oil. The Company intends to fully leverage the Ningbo-Shanghai-Nanjing crude oil pipeline, optimise the allocation of crude oil to reduce transportation costs. The Company will timely adjust product mix in accordance with the market demand, reinforce operation management and ensure safe, stable, sustainable, optimal and full-load operations. In addition, the Company will proactively implement reform of marketing system of refined oil products other than gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The Company plans to process 67.46 million tonnes of crude oil in the second half of this year. In Marketing and Distribution Segment, the Company intends to enhance the distribution network of refined oil products by accelerating the construction of refined oil product pipeline, optimising and adjusting the layout of oil depots, as well as expanding the retail network. Following the principle of achieving regional and professional management and flattening of the management hierarchy, the Company intends to further carry out reform of its marketing system of refined oil products. The Company will further improve service quality and its corporate image. In the second half of 2004, the Company will target its total domestic sales volume of refined oil products at 45.5 million tonnes, including a retail volume of 25.37 million tonnes and a direct sales volume of 9.5 million tonnes. In Chemicals Segment, the Company will focus on the full load operation of major chemical facilities and revamping of some facilities as well as optimisation of feedstock and resources allocation to reduce the material and energy consumption and increase product yield. The Company will rationalise its product mix and increase the output of high value-added products. The Company will continue to carry out the reform of marketing system of chemical products. The Company plans to produce 1.7 million tonnes of ethylene in the second half of this year. In respect of capital expenditure, the original planned capital expenditure for 2004 was RMB 50.2 billion. According to the current market supply-demand situation and the projected market analysis in the future, the Company decided to seize the opportunities, increase investment and accelerate the construction progress of key projects. The Company intends to increase the capital expenditure by RMB 6.12 billion to RMB 56.32 billion. The breakdown of increases by segments is as follows: the expenditure for Exploration and Production Segment is RMB 1.24 billion, Refining Segment RMB 1.68 billion, Chemicals Segment RMB 1.15 billion, Marketing and Distribution Segment RMB 1.95 billion. The expenditure will be mainly used for the construction of natural gas and crude oil pipelines and the speeding up of the refining renovation in Guangzhou Petrochemical, Yanshan Petrochemical, Shanghai Petrochemical, chemical renovation of PTA in Yangzi Petrochemical, polyester project in Yizheng Chemical Fiber, and the construction and acquisition of petrol stations, etc. In the second half of 2004, by following the operating guidelines featuring "reform, rationalisation, innovation and development", the Company will actively adopt flexible operating tactics, realise the production and operation objectives for 2004, and continue to maintain sound operation results. 5.12 Caution and explanation as to the anticipated loss of accumulated net profits from the beginning of the year to the end of the next reporting period or significant changes over the same period of last year |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.13 Explanation of the management about the auditors' "non-standard opinion" for the reporting period |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 5.14 Explanation of the management about the subsequent changes and the follow up actions of the matters in connection with the auditors' "non-standard opinion" in the last financial year |_| applicable |x| inapplicable Section 6 Significant events 6.1 Acquisition, sale of assets and assets reorganisation 6.1.1 Acquisition and purchase of assets |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Acquisition of shares of Jinzhi Company Net profits contributed The other to the Company Whether it party to the during the period constituted to transaction from the purchase connected transaction and its assets Date of Transaction day to the end of (if yes, explain acquired or invested purchase price the reporting day the pricing principle) 100% of the shares of 30 June 2004 RMB 230 million Nil Yes. Tianjian Lubricant & Principle of Pricing: Grease Company Limited The consideration of held by Sinopec Group the acquisition was Company determined bynegotiations between the two parties according to the valuation of the Target Shares, the market conditions, profitability and development potential, and the valuation methods commonly used internationally. At the seventh meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp. held on 26 March 2004, the Board reviewed and approved to acquire 100% of the shares of Yanhua Group Tianjin Lubricant & Grease Company Limited (Jinzhi Company) (which was owned by Sinpec Group Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Company Limited which is, in turn, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corp.) at a consideration for RMB 230 million in cash. The two parties signed the acquisition agreement. For details, please refer to Sinopec Corp.'s relevant announcement published in China Securities, Shanghai Securities and Securities Times in China and South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Economic Times in Hong Kong on 29 March 2004. The acquisition was completed on 30 June 2004. 6.1.2 Acquisition and purchase of assets |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 6.1.3 Progress and impact on financial positon and operating results of the relevant event after the issue of asset reorgansation report or announcement of acquition and sale of assets |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 6.2 Guarartees |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Date of occurrence Whether (date of Whether for a execution of completed connected Obligors agreement) Amount Type Term or not party RMB millions Shanghai Secco Petrochemical Co., Ltd. 9.2.2002 2,930 Joint and several liability 9.2.2002-20.12.2021 No Yes Shanghai Secco Petro- chemical Co., Ltd. 9.2.2002 4,062 Joint and several liability 9.2.2002-20.12.2013 No Yes BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. 7.3.2003 4,680 Joint and several liability 7.3.2003-31.12.2008 No Yes Yueyang Sinopec Shell Coal 10.12.2003 377 Joint and several liability 10.12.2003-10.12.2017 No Yes Gasification Co., Ltd. Others N/A 315 Joint and several liability N/A No Yes Total amount of guarantee provided during the reporting period Nil Total amount of guarantee outstanding* RMB 12,191 million Of which: total outstanding amount of guarantee provided to connected parties RMB 12,191 million Total amount of guarantee provided by Sinopec Corp. for its controlling subsidiaries RMB 173 million Total amount of guarantee provided by Sinopec Corp. not in compliance with the requirements of (Zheng Jian Fa [2003] No.56)** RMB 184 million Total amount of guarantee as a percentage of the Company's net assets 7.18% * Pursuant to "Notice on the Preparation of Interim Report of 2004 of the Listed Company" issued by Shanghai Stock Exchange, "the total amount of guarantee outstanding" and "the total outstanding amount of guarantee provided to connected parties" do not include the guarantee provided by Sinopec Corp. to its controlling subsidiaries. ** These guarantees were granted to subsidiaries and associates of Sinopec Corp. and were formally approved by the Board of Directors according to relative procedures. Pursuant to "Notice on Certain Issues Relating to Regulating Fund Transfers between a Listed Company and Connected Parties and External Guarantees of List Company" (Zheng Jian Fa [2003] No.56) promulgated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) published on 28 March 2003, as the total liabilities to total assets ratios of this subsidiary and associate were over 70%, the provision of these guarantees is subject to restrictions. 6.3 Provision of fund to and fund provided by connected party |x| applicable |_| inapplicable Unit: RMB millions Funds provided by Connected party Provision of funds to connected party to connected party the Company Net occurrence Balance Net occurrence Balance Sinopec Group Company and other principal connected parties (2,063) 7,162 (3,723) 10,792 Total (2,063) 7,162 (3,723) 10,792 Of which: during the reporting period, the net occurrence of the fund provided by the Company for Sinopec Group Company amounted to a negative amount of RMB 2.026 billion, and the balance was RMB 6.868 billion. 6.4 Material litigation and arbitration |_| applicable |x| inapplicable 6.5 Explanations of other significant events, their impact and proposed solutions |x| applicable |_| inapplicable 6.5.1 Transfer of State-owned Legal Person Shares in China Phoenix Held by Sinopec Corp. At the ninth meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp. held on 6 July 2004, the Board reviewed and approved to transfer 211,423,651 state-owned legal person shares held by Sinopec Corp. in Sinopec Wuhan Phoenix Company Limited ("China Phoenix") (representing 40.72% of the total issued share capital of China Phoenix) to Hubei Qingjiang Water Power Investment Limited ("Qingjiang Investment") and China Guodian (Group) Corporation ("Guodian Group") . The total consideration payable was RMB 620,954,100. The Board also approved the Share Transfer Agreement and its related documents to be entered into between Sinopec Corp., Qingjiang Investment and Guodian Group. On 6 July 2004, Sinopec Corp. signed the Share Transfer Agreement with Qiangjiang Investment and Guodian Group. Meanwhile, the Board reviewed and approved the proposed acquisition by Sinopec Corp. from Qingjiang Investment and Guodian Group of petrochemical assets (including production facilities, inventories and corresponding accounts receivables) which they had obtained by way of assets swap from China Phoenix (the Petrochemical Assets). The total consideration payable in respect of the acquisition was RMB 548,040,500 in cash. The Board of Directors authorized the Chairman, Mr. Chen Tonghai, to sign the Asset Acquisition Agreement and related documents on behalf of Sinopec Corp. after SASAC approved the share transfer and CSRC approved the Petrochemical Assets swap. For relevant details, please refer to Sinopec Corp.'s announcement published in China Securities, Shanghai Securities, and Securities Times in Mainland China, and South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Economic Times in Hong Kong on 6 July 2004. 6.5.2 The Payment of Interest, Redemption and Delist of Mao Lian Convertible Bonds for 2004 Approved by CSRC (refer to Zheng Jian Fa [1999] No.90), Sinopec Mao Ming Refining and Chemical Company Limited (Maoming Oil Refinery) issued RMB 1.5 billion convertible bonds ("Mao Lian Convertible Bonds") with 5-year term through Shenzhen Stock Exchange on 28 July 1999 and listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange on 17 August 1999. In accordance with Provisional Rules on the Management of Convertible Corporate Bonds, Convertible Corporate Bonds Prospectus prepared by Maoming Oil Refinery, the resolution of its Board of Directors on 7 July 2003 and the resolution of its General Meeting of Shareholders on 23 March 2004, trading of Mao Lian Convertible Bonds had been terminated on 28 July 2004, and on the same day they were delisted. For those convertible bonds which were not yet sold to Maoming Oil Refinery, they were redeemed with the redemption price of RMB 118.5/piece (tax exempted). 6.5.3 Qingdao Refining Project On 22 July 2004, the Report of Feasibility study on Qingdao Refining Project was approved by National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC"). The capacity of the refinery is expected to be 10 million tonnes per year. Total investment of the project is estimated to be RMB 9.7 million. Construction of the project is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2007. 6.5.4 The Establishment of Sinopec-Shell (Jiang Su) Petroleum Sales Ltd. On 13 July 2004, Ministry of Commerce approved the establishment of Sinpec-Shell (Jiangsu) Petroleum Sales Co. Ltd. jointly invested by Sinopec Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell (China) Holding BV and Shell (China) Ltd. and granted the joint venture contract and the Articles of Association signed by each party on 11 May 2004. The total investment amounts to RMB 1.55154 billion and the registered capital amounts to RMB 0.83 billion. The investment proportion is 60%, 30% and 10% by Sinopec Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell (China) Holding BV and Shell (China) Ltd. respectively. 6.5.5 Issuance of Corporate Bonds At Sinopec Corp.'s second Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders for Year 2003 held on 15 Oct. 2003, the shareholders considered and approved "the Proposal Concerning the Issuance of Domestic Corporate Bonds Amounting to RMB 3.5 billion". On 16 January 2004, Sinopec Corp. obtained the approval from the NDRC to issue 10-year term domestic corporate bonds of RMB 3.5 billion. On 23 February 2004, the sixth meeting of Sinopec Corp.'s Second Session of the Board of Directors and the NDRC determined the coupon rate of the corporate bonds to be 4.61%. As of the date of 8 March 2004, the corporate bonds of Sinopec Corp. have been issued mainland successfully. For relevant details, please refer to Sinopec Corp.'s announcement published in China Securities, Shanghai Securities, and Securities Times in Mainland China, and South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Economic Times in Hong Kong, respectively on 25 August 2003, 16 October 2003, 30 January 2004, 9 February 2004, and 24 February 2004. 6.6 Dividend Distribution for the year ended 31 December 2003 As approved at the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2003 of Sinopec Corp., a final cash dividend of RMB 0.06 (inclusive of tax) per share for the year ended 31 December 2003 was distributed, with a total amount of RMB 5.202 billion. Shareholders whose names appeared on the register of members of Sinopec Corp. on 4 June 2004 had already received the final dividend on 28 June 2004. For the year of 2003, the annual cash dividend of RMB 0.09 (inclusive of tax) per share was distributed and the total cash dividend amounted to RMB 7.803 billion 6.7 Interim Dividend Distribution Plan for the six-month period ended 30 June 2004 According to the provision of the Articles of Association of Sinopec Corp., the Board approved the Interim Dividend Distribution Plan for the period ended 30 June 2004 at the tenth meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors. An interim cash dividend of RMB 0.04 (inclusive of tax) per share is to be distributed, based on the total number of shares of 86,702.439 million as at 30 June 2004, which amounts to a total cash dividend of approximately RMB 3.468 billion. The interim dividend will be distributed on or before 30 September 2004 (Thursday) to the shareholders whose names appear on the register of members of Sinopec Corp. on Monday, 20 September 2004. Section 7 Financial Statements 7.1 Auditors' opinion Financial statements |_| Unaudited |x| Audited Auditors' opinion |x| Standard unqualified opinion |_| Not Standard opinion 7.2 The Group's and the Company's financial statements with comparatives 7.2.1 Financial statements prepared in accordance with the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations The Group's and the Company's balance sheets At 30 June 2004 At 31 December 2003 The Group The Company The Group The Company RMB millions RMB millions RMB millions RMB millions Current assets Cash at bank and in hand 17,028 7,328 17,405 6,581 Bills receivable 8,009 2,070 5,953 1,282 Trade accounts receivable 13,621 9,678 9,284 7,080 Other receivables 12,166 19,418 15,457 24,861 Advance payments 7,248 5,486 3,904 2,990 Inventories 58,990 31,864 44,915 22,793 Total current assets 117,062 75,844 96,918 65,587 Long-term equity investments (Including the Group's and the Company's equity investment differences of RMB 425 million and RMB 415 million respectively (2003: RMB 400 million and 395 million)) 12,106 106,673 11,150 98,334 Fixed assets Fixed assets, at cost 466,212 226,100 461,128 223,015 Less: Accumulated depreciation 222,732 95,673 213,804 94,138 243,480 130,427 247,324 128,877 Less: Provision for impairment losses on fixed assets 4,094 2,505 1,331 764 Net book value of fixed assets 239,386 127,922 245,993 128,113 Construction materials 1,659 603 1,226 263 Construction in progress 44,498 27,124 28,513 19,858 Total fixed assets 285,543 155,649 275,732 148,234 Intangible assets and other assets Intangible assets 4,526 3,701 4,564 3,712 Long-term deferred expenses 573 154 97 -- Total intangible assets and other assets 5,099 3,855 4,661 3,712 Deferred taxation: Deferred tax assets 3,115 2,391 1,752 1,510 Total assets 422,925 344,412 390,213 317,377 Current liabilities: Short-term loans 26,445 14,277 20,904 9,787 Bills payable 28,531 21,630 23,958 18,006 Trade accounts payable 26,277 21,656 22,704 18,117 Receipts in advance 5,610 4,275 5,908 4,077 Wages payable 2,463 920 1,850 643 Staff welfare payable 1,093 442 1,230 583 Taxes payable 6,025 1,482 6,986 2,975 Other payables 1,490 470 1,237 380 Other creditors 25,334 24,080 27,537 26,102 Accrued expenses 2,151 850 303 133 Current portion of long-term liabilities 10,895 6,268 8,175 4,428 Total current liabilities 136,314 96,350 120,792 85,231 Long-term liabilities Long-term loans 82,038 71,300 79,221 68,723 Bonds payable 3,500 3,500 -- -- Other long-term payables 649 220 888 461 Total long-term liabilities 86,187 75,020 80,109 69,184 Deferred taxation: Deferred tax liabilities 238 16 289 16 Total liabilities 222,739 171,386 201,190 154,431 Minority interests 27,910 -- 26,077 -- Shareholders' funds Share capital 86,702 86,702 86,702 86,702 Capital reserve 36,852 36,852 36,852 36,852 Surplus reserves (Including statutory public welfare fund of RMB 7,834 million (2003: RMB 6,330 million)) 22,668 22,668 19,660 19,660 Unrecognised investment losses (750) -- (243) -- Undistributed profits (Including dividend declared after the balance sheet date of RMB 3,468 million (2003: RMB 2,601 million)) 26,804 26,804 19,975 19,732 Total shareholders' funds 172,276 173,026 162,946 162,946 Total liabilities and shareholders' funds 422,925 344,412 390,213 317,377 The Group's and the Company's income statements and profit appropriation statements Six-month periods Six-month periods ended 30 June 2004 ended 30 June 2003 The Group The Company The Group The Company RMB millions RMB millions RMB millions RMB millions Income from principal operations 265,709 183,836 194,842 132,267 Less: Cost of sales 206,098 154,678 152,303 111,788 Sales taxes and surcharges 7,776 4,661 6,141 3,855 Profit from principal operations 51,835 24,497 36,398 16,624 Add: Profit from other operations 616 29 583 77 Less: Selling expenses 8,664 5,590 6,692 4,448 Administrative expenses 10,865 7,204 9,646 6,173 Financial expenses 2,094 1,287 2,234 1,200 Exploration expenses, including dry holes 2,475 1,831 2,784 1,966 Operating profit 28,353 8,614 15,625 2,914 Add: Investment income 516 16,640 341 11,949 Non-operating income 181 112 88 29 Less: Non-operating expenses 4,952 3,552 768 568 Profit before taxation 24,098 21,814 15,286 14,324 Less: Taxation 7,154 6,532 4,762 4,559 Minority interests 2,412 -- 759 -- Add: Unrecognised investment losses 507 -- -- -- Net profit 15,039 15,282 9,765 9,765 Add: Undistributed profits at the beginning of the period 19,975 19,732 12,569 12,569 Distributable profits 35,014 35,014 22,334 22,334 Less: Transfer to statutory surplus reserve 1,504 1,504 977 977 Transfer to statutory public welfare fund 1,504 1,504 977 977 Distributable profits to shareholders 32,006 32,006 20,380 20,380 Less: Distribution of ordinary shares' dividends 5,202 5,202 5,202 5,202 Undistributed profits (Including dividend declared after the balance sheet date of RMB 3,468 million (2003: RMB 2,601 million)) 26,804 26,804 15,178 15,178 7.2.2 Financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS Consolidated income statement Six-month periods ended 30 June 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Turnover and other operating revenues Turnover 265,709 197,614 Other operating revenues 9,733 7,721 275,442 205,335 Operating expenses Purchased crude oil, products and operating supplies and expenses (197,123) (144,365) Selling, general and administrative expenses (14,212) (11,428) Depreciation, depletion and amortisation (14,773) (12,947) Exploration expenses, including dry holes (2,475) (2,784) Personnel expenses (8,346) (8,338) Employee reduction expenses (412) -- Taxes other than income tax (7,776) (6,190) Other operating expenses, net (2,986) (714) Total operating expenses (248,103) (186,766) Operating profit 27,339 18,569 Finance costs Interest expense (1,986) (2,194) Interest income 169 145 Foreign exchange losses (29) (39) Foreign exchange gains 43 14 Net finance costs (1,803) (2,074) Investment income/(losses) 30 (2) Share of profits less losses from associates 451 272 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation 26,017 16,765 Taxation (7,713) (5,264) Profit from ordinary activities after taxation 18,304 11,501 Minority interests (2,153) (774) Profit attributable to shareholders 16,151 10,727 Basic earnings per share 0.19 0.12 Dividends attributable for the period: Interim dividend declared after the balance sheet date 3,468 2,601 Consolidated balance sheet At 30 June At 31 December 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 251,704 256,748 Construction in progress 44,659 28,973 Investments 2,711 2,582 Interests in associates 8,849 8,081 Deferred tax assets 3,506 2,144 Lease prepayments 794 810 Other assets 2,612 2,152 Total non-current assets 314,835 301,490 Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 14,273 15,221 Time deposits with financial institutions 2,755 2,184 Trade accounts receivable 13,621 9,284 Bills receivable 8,009 5,953 Inventories 60,631 46,112 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 20,813 20,574 Total current assets 120,102 99,328 Current liabilities Short-term debts 31,187 25,158 Loans from Sinopec Group Company and fellow subsidiaries 6,153 3,921 Trade accounts payable 26,277 22,704 Bills payable 28,531 23,958 Accrued expenses and other payables 41,419 42,187 Income tax payable 4,146 4,077 Total current liabilities 137,713 122,005 Net current liabilities (17,611) (22,677) Total assets less current liabilities 297,224 278,813 Non-current liabilities Long-term debts 49,078 41,450 Loans from Sinopec Group Company and fellow subsidiaries 36,460 37,771 Deferred tax liabilities 5,106 4,599 Other liabilities 731 1,228 Total non-current liabilities 91,375 85,048 Minority interests 27,440 25,866 Net assets 178,409 167,899 Shareholders' funds Share capital 86,702 86,702 Reserves 91,707 81,197 Total shareholder's funds 178,409 167,899 7.3 Notes to the financial statements 7.3.1 Segmental reporting prepared in accordance with IFRS Information on the Group's business segments is as follows: Six-month periods ended 30 June 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Turnover Exploration and production External sales 7,376 7,083 Inter-segment sales 26,316 24,980 33,692 32,063 Refining External sales 31,986 26,287 Inter-segment sales 126,904 102,765 158,890 129,052 Marketing and distribution External sales 156,539 110,231 Inter-segment sales 1,334 1,630 157,873 111,861 Chemicals External sales 50,946 38,133 Inter-segment sales 4,794 3,923 55,740 42,056 Corporate and others External sales 18,862 15,880 Inter-segment sales 16,246 13,419 35,108 29,299 Elimination of inter-segment sales (175,594) (146,717) Turnover 265,709 197,614 Other operating revenues Exploration and production 3,544 2,952 Refining 2,367 2,033 Marketing and distribution 362 202 Chemicals 2,645 2,013 Corporate and others 815 521 Other operating revenues 9,733 7,721 Turnover and other operating revenues 275,442 205,335 Six-month periods ended 30 June 2004 2003 RMB millions RMB millions Result Operating profit By segment - Exploration and production 10,520 10,298 - Refining 4,251 2,644 - Marketing and distribution 8,569 5,461 - Chemicals 4,924 858 - Corporate and others (925) (692) Total operating profit 27,339 18,569 Share of profits less losses from associates - Exploration and production 223 181 - Refining 29 4 - Marketing and distribution 177 40 - Chemicals (37) (26) - Corporate and others 59 73 Aggregate share of profits less losses from associates 451 272 Finance costs Interest expense (1,986) (2,194) Interest income 169 145 Foreign exchange losses (29) (39) Foreign exchange gains 43 14 Net finance costs (1,803) (2,074) Investment income/(losses) 30 (2) Profit from ordinary activities before taxation 26,017 16,765 Taxation (7,713) (5,264) Profit from ordinary activities after taxation 18,304 11,501 Minority interests (2,153) (774) Profit attributable to shareholders 16,151 10,727 7.3.2 Taxation The provision for PRC current income tax is based on a statutory rate of 33% of the assessable income of the Group as determined in accordance with the relevant income tax rules and regulations of the PRC, except for certain subsidiaries of the Company, which are taxed at a preferential rate of 15%. 7.3.3 Cost of inventories The cost of inventories recognised as an expense in the consolidated income statement prepared in accordance with IFRS amounted to RMB 211,548 million for the six-month period ended 30 June 2004 (2003: RMB 157,853 million). 7.3.4 During the reporting period, there are no changes in the scope of consolidation of the financial statements prepared under the PRC Accounting Rules and Regulations and IFRS. Section 8 Repurchase, Sales and Redemption of shares During this reporting period, the Company did not repurchase, sell or redeem any securities of Sinopec Corp. Section 9 Compliance with the Code of Best Practice The Board of Directors of Sinopec Corp. is not aware of any information which reasonably indicates that Sinopec Corp. fails/has failed to, currently or at any time within the six-month period ended 30 June 2004, comply with those requirements as set out under the Code of Best Practice in Appendix 14 to the Listing Rules stipulated by Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Section 10 Application of the Model Code In this reporting period, no director has infringed the requirements set out under the Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Issuers, Appendix 10 to the Listing Rules stipulated by Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Section 11 A detailed results announcement containing all the information required by paragraphs 46(1) to (6) of Appendix 16 to the Listing Rules of the Stock Exchange will be published on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in due course. This announcement is published in both English and Chinese languages. The chinese version shall prevail. By Order of the Board Chen Tonghai Chairman Beijing, the PRC, 27 August 2004 As at the date of this announcement, the directors of the Company are: Messrs. Chen Tonghai, Wang Jiming, Mou Shuling, Zhang Jiaren, Cao Xianghong, Liu Genyuan, Gao Jian and Fan Yifei; the independent directors are: Messrs. Chen Qingtai, Ho Tsu Kwok Charles, Shi Wanpeng and Zhang Youcai; and the employee representative director is: Mr Cao Yaofeng.