It is the first time the symposium has been held in Asia since its establishment in 1995 by the bank's information development programme.

With the theme of "information, knowledge, trade and development," this year's meeting will focus on the role and function of information and communication technologies (ICT) in development.

About 250 delegates, including administrative officials, experts in their fields and entrepreneurs from domestic and international information businesses will attend the meeting, announced the organizing committee.

The conference, co-sponsored by the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance, and Chongqing municipal government, is considered a good opportunity to learn more about the application of ICT in accelerating development in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China.

"As the host city, Chongqing will benefit considerably from the conference," said Liu Chengyi, secretary-general of Chongqing municipal government.

He said the meeting will further improve the development of the city's IT industry.

It will also promote Chongqing's image on the domestic and international scene and thus have a very positive influence on the economic and social development of the city, said Liu.

After the formal meeting, the municipal government will arrange small workshops and invite figures in the information business attending the meeting to offer suggestions for the development of Chongqing.

The city aims to have built an information centre and telecommunications link in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River by 2010 and through this drive promote its overall construction, transforming it into the economic core of the area.

(China Daily December 2, 2002)