Beijing Business Today starts publication in the capital Wednesday as the first local daily newspaper reporting on industry and commerce while also providing comprehensive national news.

As a member of the Beijing Daily Group, Beijing Business Today will be a six-column broadsheet -- a format new to domestic readers.

Its content is different from other Chinese business newspapers as it includes social news and that of other fields in addition to in-depth reporting on business and finance.

It is expected to fill the gap in the media market which lacks business papers with information on a broad range of issues.

"Becoming a first-class business newspaper in Beijing and even in the whole country while meeting reader demands for information are our goals," said Publisher Liu Tingzhao.

Liu said the publication is also expected to play a supporting role to Beijing's fast economic development and the opportunities and challenges brought about by China's entry to the World Trade Organization.

An expert in media with Renmin University of China, Yu Guoming, said Beijing needs a high-quality business newspaper as the capital is undergoing rapid social and economic development.

The newspaper will publish six issues every week.

A total of 20 pages will be published daily from Monday to Friday. The Saturday issue will consist of 16 pages.

(China Daily May 15, 2002)