GUANGZHOU: The production of high-tech products has become a staple industry in Shenzhen - one of the four special economic zones in China.

Major achievements of the industry will be showcased during the 10th-annual China High-Tech Fair (CHTF), to take place in Shenzhen from Oct 12-17.

Since this year is the 30th anniversary of the launch of the opening-and-reform policy, the fair is considered more significant than previous ones.

Shenzhen has always hosted the fair, and has benefited greatly from it.

More than 30,000 companies, 16,000 investors and 94,000 projects from 50 countries have participated in the past nine fairs.

The United States, Britain, Germany and 29 other countries have sent delegates to the fair.

When it first began, 300,000 people participated in the fair. That number reached 600,000 last year.

The number of foreign participants has increased from 28,000 to 61,700.

The 10th fair will be held with the theme: "Technology changes people's livelihood, and innovation changes the world".

The fair will not only display the most up-to-date high-tech products, but it will also feature forums to highlight the theme of high-tech influence.

"Preparations for the fair have begun," said Liu Yingli, the vice-chairman and secretary-general of the CHTF organizing committee.

Shenzhen has been a special economic zone for 28 years. It is believed that technology production is a key factor that has led to the city flourishing.

The city's GDP last year was 676.5 billion yuan, up 14.7 percent from the previous year, and ranked fourth among all cities in the country.

Shenzhen is also the first city in the country where the per capita GDP has exceeded $10,000. Last year, the average was $10,628.

Liu noted that the city's focus on technology means that Shenzhen will have to continue advancing in several fields to maintain its success.

"Shenzhen must increase its output but reduce energy consumption, and it must form a modern industrial system that combines high-technology, logistics, finance and culture," he said, adding that the protection of intellectual properties, as well as boosting ties with Hong Kong and Macao, are other areas that must improve.

(HK Edition 05/13/2008 page1)