Speech at the News Conference

OVERVIEW OF CHINA HI-TECH FAIR

Preparatory Committee of China Hi-tech Fair
January 28, 1999

The first China Hi-tech Fair will be held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, PRC, from October 5 to 10,1999. This fair is approved by the State Council of China and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of the Information Industry, the Chinese Acadamy of Sciences, and Shenzhen Municipal People's Government.

Goals of the Fair

Speed up the industrialization of hi-tech achievements in China, promote the development of hi-tech industries and impove the overall quality of the national economy.

Foster a market presenting hi-tech trade, investment promotion, personnel exchange, and information services.

Provide a diversified technological source for the countryбпs hi-tech sector, create a well-structured environment of hi-tech resources, and build a base for international hi-tech trade.

Market Significance of the Fair

Contents of China Hi-tech Fair

Hi-tech Achievements Trade

Domestic and foreign institutes of higher learning and technology firms will be invited to present their technologies with good prospect of implementation. State technological and engineering projects including projects of the 863 Plan, the Key Research Projects, the Torch Plan and the Technology Proliferation Plan, will also join in the trading.

Domestic and foreign firms with demand for high technology will be invited to the Fair.

Venture funds from both home and abroad will be invited to attend the event.

Relevant experts, agencies and investment banks will be invited to make project evaluation and offer financial packagings.

Chinese students currently studying abroad will also be invited to join the event with their research results.

Hi- tech Products Exhibition

IDG of the United States has decided to join its COMNET as part of the event. The exhibition, with a history of 18 years, is internationally influential in the computer field, telecommunications field and the field of computer networks.

Computer manufacturers in Hong Kong and Taiwan will be invited to participate in the Fair to strengthen relationship with these areas.

Manufacturers and developers in Shenzhen and the rest of the Pearl River Delta will also be invited to the Fair.

Trade and Investment Promotion

Governments at provincial (including autonomous regions and cities directly under the State Council), municipal and local levels are invited to bring technology products and projects from their respective areas to join the event. They are encouraged to take advantage of the Fair to promote investment and trade for their respective regions. The event aims to enhance economic and technological development in their regions.

Information Exchange

Famous scholars, experts and entrepreneurs will be invited to give talks on present and future developments in some areas of technology.

Experts in finance, securities and venture funds will also be invited to explain the operation of venture funds.

Industrial Highlights of the Fair

Electronic Information Industry

It includes the computer and software, telecommunications, broadcasting and television, micro-electronic and basic components and highlights mobile telecommunications technology (GSM, CDMA and WCDMA) multimedia technology, high-definition televisual technology, digital audio-visual technology, PDP, network technology, character/voice/picture recognition and processing technologies.

Biological and Medical Industry

Its highlights are pharmaceutical and bio-engineering (biologically engineered medicine, diagnostic technology, biological treatments), agri--biological technologies (breeding, veterinary medicine, pesticides and preservation), bio-engineering environmental protection, medical preparation technology.

New Materials

The highlights in this area are new energy-preservation materials, new decorative materials (wall body and coating), material for electronic storage (magnetic, memory, sensitive, illuminating), environmental protective materials technology.

Optical-electro-mechanical Integration Industry

Emphasis is given to the development of CAD/CAM/FMC /FMS and CZMS technologies, intelligent medical equipment, intelligent monitoring equipment and controlling systems, sevo-control and numerical control technology.

Energy-saving, Environmental Protection Industry

The highlights in this area are high-capacity batteries, gas and electric automobiles, exhaust purification system, and waste water processing technologies.

Other Technologies Ready for Application

Functions of the Exhibition Hall

Shenzhen Municipal Government has allocated an area of 54,000 square meters for the construction of the Exhibition Hall, whose planned floor area totals 29,000 square meters. The Exhibition Hall will feature a modern hi-tech structure, with a net height of 13 metres and 1700 exhibition booths. It has an 11,000 square-meters hall and four 3000 square-metres halls for exhibition, a 500-seat lecture hall with simultaneous translating apparatus, two 100-seat conference rooms and 10 business conference rooms. The business center in the Hall will provide photography, fax, telephone, E-mail, and engraving services.

The broadband multi-media network supported by ATM technology and Internet technology is conneted with Internet EDI and the major domestic network of the three Ministries and the Acadamy through Chinanet. Apart from the satellite receiving system, there are about 700 Internet communication ports and about 700 telephone and fax ports, which are connected with the city's major fibre-optical networks. With 60 junction lines, the telephone communication system will operate by virtual exchange. The Exhibition Hall is equipped with IC telephones. More than 200 multi-media computers will provide registration, consulting, and business matching services. Huge display screens will show announcements, advertisements and major international and domestic news in and out of the Exhibition Hall. Participants will use the Fair IC card for entering and exiting the Exhibition Hall as well as for other needs (eg. phone calls, food and beverages,copying). A data base on participants and visitors will be established for future fairs.

Situated in the center of the city, the Hall enjoys convenient transportation. There is a big parking lot outside the Hall. The food center provides fast food of Chinese and western styles, and all sorts of drinks.

Features of the Fair

With high technology as its backbone, the Fair is a comprehensive event incorporating technology trade, products exhibition, project promotion and information exchange. The China Hi-tech Fair in Shenzhen and China Export Commodities Fair in Guangzhou, mutually complementary, together will create more business opportunities for all regions of the country.

The Fair will introduce venture fund mechanism and high level intermediaries. This will not only increase the probability of transactions, but also will conform to international practice and market laws.

The Fair will invite technology firms from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, thus making the event a meeting for technological exchanges between Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Chinaбпs mainland.

The Fair will feature the integration of regular meetings and standing trade mechanisms. Between the fair intervals, 2,000 square-meter standing technology market in Shenzhen Science and Technology Building will provide service for hi-tech exchanges.