The government is exploring opportunities to develop industrial parks in countries like Russia and Vietnam, as it encourages electronics firms to build their brands.

 

Wang Bingke, deputy director of the department of economic restructuring and operations at the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), said yesterday that a delegation has already been to Russia to investigate and a second team will go to Vietnam.

 

It is the first time that the concept of a Chinese electronics park in Russia or Vietnam has been raised.

 

It would allow for electronics brands to go overseas in a group rather than separately, to build an entire supply chain.

 

"Everybody knows the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, but we can do this too - and it's going to be a major channel to promote the globalization of Chinese electronics brands," said Wang at a forum sponsored by Lenovo Group, one of the most successful global Chinese firms.

 

The Suzhou park, supported by both the Chinese and Singaporean governments, has paid 46 billion yuan in tax and created over 400,000 jobs in 12 years.

 

Du Jianhua, vice-president of Lenovo Group, said yesterday that his company now has two factories in India, one in Mexico, and plans to open another in Eastern Europe.

 

The government is also encouraging brand-building by electronics companies through a new policy on the software and integrated circuit industry.

 

The State Council issued a circular in 2000 that encouraged growth by giving incentives to investors in the two areas.

 

The government later created a new policy in line with World Trade Organization principles.

 

The MII's Wang said yesterday that the new policy has been submitted to the State Council and is likely to be approved later this year or early in 2008.

 

The new regulation aims to encourage companies to innovate and to develop their own patented products.

 

Wang Ning, executive vice-president of the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce, said it plans to take Chinese electronics companies to the major global electronics shows.

 

(China Daily October 30, 2007)