China is encouraging domestic enterprises to cooperate with their foreign partners in the high-tech sector while high-tech product exports have become a major pillar of the country's total exports.

Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan told over 30 corporate leaders of the world's top 500 enterprises who are here attend a six-day high-tech fair in Beijing Thursday that the Chinese government encourages and supports such exchanges and cooperation, noting the Chinese economy will remain sound despite over-heating in some industries.

In order to boost the cooperation, China will further improve the investment environment, do more to protect intellectual property rights and strictly abide by the World Trade Organization's rules, Zeng said.

The macro-adjustment measures on some over-heated industries have also shown their effectiveness and China's economy could maintain a constant, stable, coordinated and sound development, Zeng said, noting that he hopes business people, including those in the financial sector, would expand cooperation with their Chinese counterparts.

China's exports of high-tech products hit US$110.4 billion in 2003, accounting for 25 percent of the total exports and made it the second largest export item following machinery and electronic goods.

In the first quarter, China sold US$33.11 billion worth of high-tech products, surging by 67.5 percent year-on-year and bought US$33.43 billion worth of such products, up 39.7 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2004)