Compaq intends to expand its business in Shanghai by merging with HP, according to a Compaq spokeswoman who said the plans for the merger are awaiting approval from American Government. The strong-strong co-operation will be favourable to reinforce their business in East China, she said.

New DVD recorder

A new type of Philips DVD-recorder, developed by Philips and a number of international electronic manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Ricoh and Yamaha was launched in Shanghai last week. The recorder makes use of DVD+RW technology, designed from the start to be compatible with existing and future DVD-video players and DVD-ROM drives in PCs, according to the same specifications of DVD-video.

Shanghai Bell, HP co-launch project

Shanghai Bell has signed an agreement with Hewlett Packard (HP) Consulting to launch a collaborative commerce project to manage the entire lifecycle of their products and processes. HP will be the systems integrator for this project. A Shanghai Bell manager said the solutions from MatrixOne will address Shanghai Bell's need for an efficient, flexible, and secure IT solution to increase its R&D operational efficiency. The manager said more investment will be put into its R&D programmes.

Record for airline passengers

Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao international airports reported a new annual record for their joint passenger turnout of 20.65 million people last year, a rise of 16.7 per cent over the same period in 2000. By the last day of 2001, 19,4100 airplanes had either taken off from or landed at the two airports, 20.93 per cent higher than the figure for 2000, according to local statistics. The two figures are much higher than the average for the world's civil aviation industry, sources said.

Profitable stock market

The Shanghai stock market raised 95.749 billion yuan (US$11.5 billion) last year, up 4.08 per cent over the year 2000. By the last trading day of 2001, the Shanghai stock market had a total of 646 listed companies, which had issued 690 shares worth some 2.76 trillion yuan (US$333 billion). The total transaction value over the past 240 trading days last year reached 4.41 trillion yuan (US$532.6 billion), a drop of around 10 per cent from 2000. By December 28 last year, over 34.19 million investors had participated in A- and B-share trading business on the Shanghai bourse.

Materials circulation training base

A modern materials circulation personnel training base has been established in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone recently, becoming the first of its kind in China. Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone, founded 11 years ago as a major part of the Pudong New District, is now home to over 500 companies specializing in the materials circulation sector.

Nuclear equipment passes test

A nuclear power pressure vessel with a 600 megawatt capacity passed a technical examination in Shanghai recently. The pressure vessel for nuclear reactors is a crucial equipment for the second-phase power projects at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. Experts say the vessel, advanced in both quality and technology, has set a milestone in the country's manufacturing history of nuclear power equipment.

Year for patent applications

The patent office of Shanghai received 10,384 patent applications from local companies, research institutions and schools of higher learning in the January-October period of last year, a year-on-year increase of 33.5 per cent. The Shanghai Municipal Government has cited 96 new technologies this year. Many of the technologies cited this year have yielded huge returns for the IPR owners and their buyers, said an official with the Shanghai Municipal government.

PR association doles out prizes

Eight units have been awarded gold prizes by the Shanghai PR Association for their outstanding PR efforts. The awardees including China Hyatt, Shanghai Airlines, Shanghai Huili and Ruijin Hospital were chosen from about 100 competitors. The appraisal, the city's first of the kind, is part of the activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of the association.

Employment online service

As one of China's first online employment service providers, Shanghai-based website www.strongnet.com now provides consulting service to enterprises that are forced to downsize and helps laid-off workers test their professional aptitude and better present themselves to future employers through a well-designed resume and good performance during interviews. The website also provides real-time information to laid-off white-collar workers on demand and supply in the talents market.

Helping hands from inmates

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