Global design software and digital content provider Autodesk launched a limited company, Autodesk China, earlier this week to make China a regional base along with the United States, Europe and Japan.

Labor-intensive, low-efficient and heavy-consuming industries of manufacturing and construction will be China's major forces for economic growth for a certain period in the future, and just in this sense, they give vast space for nation's digitalization, said Autodesk global vice president and Greater China president Gao Qunyao.

China will inevitably become one of the world's most important software bases, he said.

Autodesk have deployed large regional development centers in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Now it wil ldevelop another regional center in China, said Autodesk CEO and President Carol Barts.

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2004)