And exports and imports of high-tech products totaled US$43.7 billion -- an increase of 50.3 percent.

Officials with National Development and Reform Commission attributed the stable boom of the high-tech industry to China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has greatly improved the country's macroeconomic environment and enhanced the confidence of overseas investors.

Another reason for the growth of the high-tech industry is the introduction of advanced international technology to China, which has effectively altered and upgraded emerging industries like information-related chemicals, medicine, aviation and space products.

More than 70 per cent of the world's 500 largest transnational corporations have invested in China with a focus on industries involved in computing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, electronic products, chemicals and automobiles.

The output value of electronic products and telecommunication equipment in the first quarter of this year reached 300.14 billion yuan (US$36.1 billion) -- an increase of 27 percent on the same period last year.

Computer and office equipment manufacturing is especially brisk in the country. It merited a production value of 126.81 billion yuan (US$15.2 billion), representing an increase of 42.5 percent compared with the first quarter of last year.

The number of people employed in these two sectors also increased by 21 percent.

In another development, the country's revenue from custom tariffs reached a record high of 114.43 billion yuan (US$13.8 billion) during the first four months of this year.

This was an increase of 40.3 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion) and represented a 54.29 percent rise on the same period last year, China Central Television reported Wednesday.

For April, revenue from customs tariff reached 31.8 billion yuan (US$3.86 billion) -- up 38.77 percent on the same month last year.

(China Daily May 8, 2003)