MERGER and acquisition deals in China jumped 18 percent to more than 1,700 in the first 11 months of 2007, figures released yesterday said.

Total M&A deals were worth more than US$80 billion, up 25 percent from the same period a year earlier, said a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Of the total, 987 deals were conducted by domestic firms, an annual increase of 45 percent. The deals were valued at US$50.6 billion, up 53 percent from the previous year.