The World Polymer Congress 2002 of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry opened Monday in Beijing.
Nearly 1,100 participants from 44 countries and regions are taking part in the five-day academic meeting organized by the Chinese Chemical Society.
The participants, including three Nobel laureates in chemistry in 2000, Alan Heeger, Alan MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa, are expected to discuss new frontiers in chemistry, physics and biological engineering.
They will also explore new ways of making polymer and other materials.
The three Nobel Prize winners will give lectures on the latest advancements in the field at the meeting.
Chinese experts said that the bi-annual meeting would give Chinese scientists more opportunities to exchange views with international counterparts.
After two decades of opening-up and economic reform, China became one of the largest manufacturers and consumers of polymer products.
(Xinhua News Agency July 8,2002)