Equity	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Equity Abstract
Equity	6. Equity During the six months ended June 30, 2011, Sino-US MetLife Insurance Company Limited ("Sino"), an insurance underwriting joint venture of the Company accounted for under the equity method, merged with United MetLife Insurance Company Limited ("United"), another insurance underwriting joint venture of an affiliate of the Company. The Company's ownership interest in the merged entity, Sino-US United MetLife Insurance Company Limited ("Sino-United") was determined based on its contributed capital and share of undistributed earnings of Sino compared to the contributed capital and undistributed earnings of all other investees of Sino and United. Since both the joint ventures were under common ownership both prior to and subsequent to the merger, the Company's investment in Sino-United is based on the carrying value of its investment in Sino. Pursuant to the merger, the Company entered into an agreement to pay the affiliate an amount based on the relative fair value of their respective investment in Sino-United. Accordingly, $52 million was recorded as a liability representing a return of capital at June 30, 2011. Such amount, subject to completion of the estimation of fair value, is expected to be paid in the third quarter of 2011. The Company's investment in Sino-United is accounted for under equity method and is included in other invested assets.

- Definition

Disclosures related to accounts comprising shareholders' equity, including other comprehensive income. Includes: (1) balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings; (2) accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and total amount of comprehensive income; (3) amount and nature of changes in separate accounts, including the number of shares authorized and outstanding, number of shares issued upon exercise and conversion, and for other comprehensive income, the adjustments for reclassifications to net income; (4) rights and privileges of each class of stock authorized; (5) basis of treasury stock, if other than cost, and amounts paid and accounting treatment for treasury stock purchased significantly in excess of market; (6) dividends paid or payable per share and in the aggregate for each class of stock for each period presented; (7) dividend restrictions and accumulated preferred dividends in arrears (in aggregate and per share amount); (8) retained earnings appropriations or restrictions, such as dividend restrictions; (9) impact of change in accounting principle, initial adoption of new accounting principle and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; (10) shares held in trust for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); (11) deferred compensation related to issuance of capital stock; (12) note received for issuance of stock; (13) unamortized discount on shares; (14) description, terms and number of warrants or rights outstanding; (15) shares under subscription and subscription receivables; effective date of new retained earnings after quasi-reorganization and deficit eliminated by quasi-reorganization and, for a period of at least ten years after the effective date, the point in time from which the new retained dates; and (16) retroactive effective of subsequent change in capital structure.

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