Li made the remarks in his keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the China Beijing International High-Tech Industries Week, which started yesterday.

He said that the central government will formulate and implement a series of policies to achieve the goal.

The policies involve deepening the reform of the science and technology sector in line with the market-oriented economy, optimizing China's investment and fund-raising mechanisms and improving related laws.

"We are likely to introduce more foreign experts to hold lectures and conduct studies in China, and the Chinese government welcomes multinational companies to set up research and development centers here," Li said.

He stressed that the government also encourages its scientists to cooperate with foreign partners and take part in the multilateral research projects.

"Support will be offered to domestic high-tech enterprises that try to carry out research and development work abroad," he added.

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, extended a warm welcome to the guests and expressed thanks to those who have conducted long-term cooperation and exchanges in economic and technological areas.

"China is striving to improve its legal environment and enhance intellectual property rights protection in a bid to create a fair and transparent arena of competition for domestic and foreign high-tech enterprises," he said.

The fourth annual international high-tech event of its kind will continue until May 15 in Beijing, and from next year, it will be held in the third week of May on an annual basis.

For this session, the exposition area takes up a record of 100,000 square meters, more than four times as large as last year and taking up all the capital city's nine exhibition halls.

Twenty-five professional forums, concerning advanced technology, finance, education and foreign trade and economic cooperation, are on the schedule.

So far, over 300 domestic and foreign governmental officials, chief executive officers of multinationals and authoritative experts have come to Beijing to deliver speeches at the forums.

The 20 trade talks have attracted more than 70 governmental and business delegations with over 2,000 members from home and abroad.

(China Daily 05/11/2001)