Int'l high-tech expo ends on fruitful note
By Yang Qi (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-05-27 17:11

The 7th China (Beijing) International High-tech Expo (CHITEC) concluded Wednesday in Beijing with the signing of 252 investment and trade projects involving US$3.96 billion.

Of the total 231 investment projects are valued at US$3.94
billion. Beijing benefited from 67 of the investment deals, accounting for 43.9 percent of the total capital to reach US$1.72 billion. The other 164 projects will be divided among other parts of the country.

The high-tech deals clinched at the expo mainly covered such sectors as electronics, information, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection and new materials, with the proportion of trading value rising from 36 percent in 2003 to 58.4 percent.

The proportion of the total projects from other provinces and cities climbed from 50.9 percent in 2003 to 56.1 percent.

According to Zhou Maofei, president of the Beijing Council for the Promotion of International Trade, more than 100 exhibitions, forums and trade
fairs were staged during the six-day exposition, which attracted
nearly 3,000 foreign government officials, business people, scientists and scholars, as well as more than 8,000 people from across the country, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Province.

The expo was attended by more than 2,100 high-tech companies and institutions from home and abroad, with some 300,000 visitors.

Compared to previous expos, this one boasted more characteristics:

Brand effect: A batch of the most advanced high-tech products made their debut at the expo, such as the 80-inch PDP TV by Samsung.

High-tech experience: Many intelligent and digital products with touchscreens provided visitors with easier access to leading high-tech products.

Direct information platform: The expo played a more important role in providing a direct-exchange platform for government and industries. Dozens of senior government officials publicized the latest industrial policies and programmes at the expo.

New concepts: The expo was more pragmatic and operational. Twenty five forums and specialized exchange activities focusing on current industrial trends and economic hot topics took the stage to address micro-economic development trends, monetary policy, regional cooperation and sustainable development.

A Deeper regional cooperation: Delegations from 36 provinces and cities attended the expo and trade talks for more opportunities in international and regional cooperation.

Olympics economy: The 2008 Olympics Stadium Construction project promotion drew attention from more than 400 businesspeople from home and abroad, such as United Carrier Air Conditioning and OTIS.

Wide media participation: More than 1,200 journalists from 286 media centers zeroed in on the expo, including 46 foreign media outlets.