Hainan Province in south China will hold an environment-friendly auto exposition in a bid to boost the development of environmental protection technologies in the auto industry.

Co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Hainan's department of science and technology, the expo will run from February 18 to 22 in Haikou, capital of the Hainan Province, said Xu Wenda, deputy secretary general of the expo committee.

The expo would exhibit international up-to-date environment-friendly automobiles with advanced technologies and powered new energy forms, said Xu.

Domestic auto manufacturers together with some international giants have shown interest in the expo, said Xu, and 33 automobile enterprises including Shanghai Volkswagen, Beijing Hyundai and Rolls-Royce are expected to attend.

"We hope that China's environment-friendly manufacturers will extend cooperation with international automobile giants through the expo," the official said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2004)