Speech by Vice Minister Xu Guanhua
Of the Ministry of Science and Technology
At the Press Conference of State Council Information Office

January 10, 2000

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

"Beijing International High-tech Industries Week" has been successfully held twice in China. The Ministry of Science and Technology, as one of the cosponsors, will further facilitate the development of China's high-tech industries.

In the past year, China's high-tech industries have made new breakthrough at the aspects of mechanism reform, technology innovation and industrialization of technology achievements. The central government has pushed forward transformation of 242 scientific research institutions that belong to 10 national bureau under the State Trade and Economic Commission into business. And a series of policies and measures have been adopted in order to further encourage the technicians to create high-tech enterprises and develop various forms of non-governmental technology-based enterprises. A series of policies have been put forward to support and cultivate high-tech key industries at different aspects.

China will enter WTO and will accomplish the industrialization and modernization, develop the high-tech industries to achieve the transformation from the industrial society into an information and knowledge-based society in an environment that is much more open, more competitive and full of more opportunities. The international and domestic situation demands us to quicken technology innovation steps, develop advanced science and technology and accomplish industrialization.

" '2000 Beijing International High-tech Industry Week" is a grand event for international cooperation and exchanges, whose theme is commercialization, industrialization, and internationalization of China's high technology. In order to guarantee the success of " '2000 International High-tech Industry Week ", the Ministry of Science and Technology will organize technological enterprises and scientific research institutions to take part in the meetings and the exhibition. Our Ministry will set up exhibition area of national level technology achievements, will enforce the dissemination of advanced science and technology and the application of high technology, which remold the traditional industries. Our Ministry will hold the national level Science and Technology Industrial Park Directors' Forum to promote the swift development of the high-tech zones. Our Ministry will devote efforts in policies and capital to the development of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises through tracking the important, efficient and industry-leading projects and vigorously cultivate new industry growth point. Our Ministry will initiate the project promotion and conduct the business talks, and will give impetus to the construction of venture capital system.

In short, the mission of " '2000 International High-tech Industries Week" is to make it the world distributing center and international market of national technology achievement transformation and technology product transaction, to make it an important window of international cooperation and exchanges of high-tech industries. As a result, we would promote the application and conversion of high-tech technology achievements in China, facilitate the development of high-tech industries, and make new contributions to updating of industry structure, transformation of economic growth means and striding development of social productive forces.

Thank you very much!