An international think-tank was set up on Tuesday to strengthen
cooperation in the exposition industry and to establish a service
platform for high-tech commercialization, industrialization and
internationalization.
The think-tank -- known as the Strategic Cooperation Advisory
Committee for the China Beijing High-tech Expo -- was established
at the closing ceremony of the six-day Fifth China Beijing
International High-tech Expo.
Members of the committee include US-based COMDEX, Ericsson, the
Hong Kong Trade Development Council, US Qualcomm Group, Italy
International Information Communication Technology Expo, the
Economic and Business Development Bureau of the State of Utah, and
the Zurich Insurance Service Group.
COMDEX representative Barbara Powers said: "We have come to realize
that international exhibitions and conferences have become a major
industry of the service sector and an important means to conduct
economic and technological cooperation and exchange on an
international level."
China's entry into the World Trade
Organization and Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008
Olympic Games implied the nation would engage itself in more
extensive international economic cooperation with the result that
the exposition industry would flourish.
The China Beijing International High-Tech Exposition attracted over
5,000 attendees from 68 foreign countries or regions and included a
series of activities.
According to statistics from the organizing committee for the grand
event, 397 contracts with a total value of US$7.35 billion were
signed during the exposition.
(China
Daily May 29, 2002)