Beijing will build a subway to link its economic and technological development zone to the planned No.5 subway line, Li Fengling, director with the administration committee of the zone, said Thursday.

The subway would be about 10.5 kilometers, while the No. 5 subway would be 27.6 kilometers running north to south.

The railway will greatly shorten traveling times between the zone and other parts of the city.

The development zone, founded in 1992, has turned out to be a major base for telecommunications, manufacturing and other industries. By the end of July, some 1,055 overseas companies with four billion US dollars in investment have entered the zone.

From 1995 to 2001, the gross domestic product of the zone saw an annual increase of 99.6 percent, with tax revenues rising by 80percent. The gross industrial output value increased 107.3 percentand exports from zone enterprises rose 119.2 percent.

( People's Daily August 9, 2002)