"If you have no idea about science, you will be nothing," said Liu Xiangru, who runs a company in Zhongguancun, Beijing's high-tech center.

Liu's view is shared by most of the people in Beijing, where an international high-tech week and a science and technology week have just concluded.

During the International High-Tech Industries Week, Beijing embraced an unprecedented galaxy of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, investment magnates and representatives from Fortune 500 enterprises.

The week-long event featured promotion of the world's hottest technologies such as blue tooth wide band and 3G. Organizers said the value of contracts clinched in during that week totaled US$8 billion.

"New science and technology are weaving our lives into a new style as so many scientific results like the Internet and nano materials are becoming part of our lives," said Zhang Mantun, who took his grandson to science exhibitions in the city over the past week.

Exhibitions, competitions, consultations, lectures, and films focused on science and technology were available in many public places of the city as part of the science and technology week.

In supermarkets, shopping assistants are often challenged by questions like "are these genetically modified fruits?" or "are these cloned products?"

"Today, more than any time before can Beijing people come in contact with science and technology in their daily life," said the organizer.

(Xinhua 05/28/2001)