In the new century, China has the world's largest output, consumption and granite exportation of stone materials, drawing attention from all over the world.

"China exported nearly 3 million tons of stone materials, earning US$800 million, ranking first in building materials," according to Wu Bin, vice president of the China's Association of Building Materials.

"China now has some 30,000 stone material companies, with an annual output of 12 million cubic meters, which valued over 10 million yuan last year," Wu said at the Eighth China's International Stone Materials and Technologies Exhibition.

As a vast mountainous country, China is rich in stone materials. Technology has been updated more rapidly since foreign production lines were put into operation. In many hotels in metropolitans in foreign countries, people can find exquisite Chinese marbles and granites.

As China is developing its market economy and urban construction is thriving nowadays, the housing reform system has given rise to the popularity of interior decoration. The gigantic construction area of China has created a potential market here.

As consumers from home and abroad place more emphasis on the environment and their quality of life, energy-saving stone materials are being developed. Chinese use science and technology when quarrying stone materials and trees are planted after quarrying is completed.

The exhibition, the largest of its kind in Asia, is jointly organized by the China Association of Building materials and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). The floor space covers 8,500 square meters with products and technologies from over 20 countries.

(People's Daily 03/16/2001)