According to the scheme, a group of exhibition centres, each with around 10,000-square-metres of floor space, will be built in downtown Beijing, which should be suitable for small and medium-sized exhibitions offering garments and jewellery. Several other centres of between 30,000 to 50,000 square metres will also be built around the city.

In rural Beijing, some large and modern exposition centres exceeding 200,000 square metres will be built to cater for business functions and entertainment. The total area set aside for the construction of these exhibition centres is estimated to be between 500,000 to 800,000 square metres.

"As the nation's capital and as an international metropolis, Beijing has unique advantages and needs to develop its exhibition economy," Yao said.

So far, there are 12 exhibition halls with a total area of 13,000 square metres in downtown Beijing, which have held 1,251 exhibitions during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000).

"A special industrial association, the Association of International Convention and Exhibition Industry, has also been set up in Beijing to act as a bridge between enterprises and the government," Yao said.

To further promote the development of the exhibition industry, three existing exhibition venues - the Beijing Exhibition Hall, the Exhibition Hall of Beijing Technological Convention and Exhibition Centre and the International Trade Centre will be expanded. Some seven new large and medium-sized exposition centres are currently under construction.

"Investment for projects will be raised under market principles," Yao said.

"The exact investment for the projects, which are still being designed, cannot be determined at present."

To date, Beijing's exhibition industry is at the fledgling stage, largely because of its backward facilities, management mechanisms and its immature market environment and because of a shortage of professionals.

(China Daily October 29,2001)