That is why China attaches great importance to the development of the industry, said Wu Jichuan, minister of information industry, at the opening ceremony of the 2000 International Forum on the Information Industry, jointly sponsored by his ministry and Xinhua News Agency.

Wu said that with the globalization of the world economy and the rapid growth of information networks, China's information industry is facing both development opportunities and fierce competition.

According to him, China is drafting its 10th five-year plan for social and economic development during the 2001-2005 period. The information industry is expected to grow at annual rate of some 20 percent in the next five years.

Total sales of IT products are expected to double the present level in 2005, with industry's value-added output accounting for 5 percent of that year's GDP. The minister believed that this forum of leading Chinese and international scholars and corporate leaders will play an important role in helping both the government and enterprises in promoting industrial development with information technology.

Vice President of Xinhua, Cai Mingzhao, said at the opening ceremony that despite the challenges that they face in the age of the Internet, conventional media are enjoying greater development provided by Internet technology. He said conventional media organizations will be able to win more Web clients while securing their original users by seizing this opportunity to provide on-line services.

Vice Minister of Information Industry Qu Weizhi said China will adopt a new way of thinking in developing the information industry in the future with emphasis placed on technological innovation in order to boost economic growth and improve social services with information technology.

Priority will be given to the development of the software industry, microelectronics industry and network products to meet the needs for building IT infrastructure facilities, upgrading traditional industries and developing e-commerce and e-administration, she said.

Efforts will also be made to foster a number of enterprise groups that can compete with international companies and support the development of China's information industry. Nearly 400 Chinese and international scholars, experts and business representatives attended the meeting, including those from IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sun and other renowned IT companies. The attendants discussed a wide range of issues such as the development of the IT industry in China and the listing of Chinese high-tech companies on overseas stock markets.

(Xinhua 08/24/2000)