Liu Qi, mayor of Beijing and chairman of the exposition organizing committee, told Business Weekly during an exclusive interview last weekend that the municipal government has strived to organize the exposition in line with international practices in terms of operation, management, infrastructure and services.

The exposition will not only provide a good opportunity for foreign officials, entrepreneurs and scholars to know more about China and the nation's high-tech industries but also offers a platform for domestic and overseas enterprises and scientists to contact the outside world, said Liu.

The expo also acts as a bridge, connecting other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with each other and with the international market.

And for the coming sessions, the government will gradually withdraw. Business organizers will take over the organization of the expo in accordance with market principles, said Liu.

The name of this year's event has been changed to the International High-Tech Expo from the previous name 'International High-Tech Week' in accordance with the international principles for comprehensive expositions which embrace various activities such as exhibitions, professional forums and even trade talks.

The new name is more direct and easily understood by foreigners, Liu said.

And it has proven to be an unexpected success with Beijing last week receiving a mass of foreign entrepreneurs at the annual high-tech expo.

This year's event, with the theme 'WTO, Olympics, Innovations, Development,' was divided into five parts: exhibitions, forums, trade talks, thematic international exchanges and online activities.

It attracted 70 governmental delegations and enterprise representatives from more than 68 countries and regions.

Moreover, the attendants included over 100 senior officials, chief executive officers (CEOs) from the world's top 500 corporations, mayors, finance specialists and world leading university presidents, making for the largest-ever get-together in the exposition's history.

Furthermore, delegations from over 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities presented their high-tech achievements and sought out business opportunities.

Liu attributed the enthusiasm of the participants to China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Beijing's winning bid for the 2008 Olympic Games and the swift high-tech industrialization in China, the world's largest developing country.

'I personally especially thank those large international businesses who offered pertinent and practical suggestions for the city's development,' Liu emphasized.

During the two-day fourth annual meeting of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Beijing, one of the important activities of the event, top officials from 17 of the world's top 500 enterprises contributed their proposals to the municipal government, concentrating on topics related to the WTO and the 2008 Olympic Games.

"And the majority of them expressed their willingness to take part in the economic construction of China and the preparatory work for the Olympics. It is unexpected that they know so much about our city and can propose such specific and thorough suggestions, some of which we have never thought about," Liu said.

Robert H. Benmosche, chairman and CEO of US-based Metropolitan Life Insurance Co, suggested the city institute a hiring preference law for those Beijing workers who may lose their jobs as a result of the country's entry into the WTO.

"Beijing, as the host city for the 2008 Games, has an advantage other Chinese cities do not have. I am referring to the various and extensive public works projects necessary to prepare Beijing for the Olympics," said Benmosche.

"With appropriate guidelines and rules I believe the city can create a system (supported by a database) whereby newly unemployed Beijing workers get matched with a newly created Olympic job."

Yoichi Morishita, chairman of Japan-based Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd, focused his attention on the issue of public transportation during the Beijing Olympic Games and called for the government to set up Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) as soon as possible.

In addition, Jean-Marie Messier, chairman of France-based Vivendi Universal, recommended the involvement of private operators in the construction projects for the Olympic Games since the financing requirements for the grand event will be massive.

"Public private partnership is a means of attracting private sector management and technical expertise and, at the same time, structuring adequate financing in order not to jeopardize the municipal budget while promoting sustainable development," said Messier.

All of the business executives said they wanted to help the city in their specific sectors and be involved in the construction.

Liu said the wide and active participation of the foreign giants reflects the internationalization of the Beijing high-tech exposition and the mutual business benefits.

(China Daily May 28, 2002)