China a top topic at global forum
( 2001-05-07 12:06 ) (1 )

China's high-tech innovations, business opportunities in less-developed western regions and economic growth after its entry into the World Organization (WTO) will be of central interest at the high-profile annual Fortune Global Forum, to be held in Hong Kong this week.

The forum, which will start tomorrow, will bring a number of world business leaders from the top 500 multinational firms together to discuss the prospect of post-WTO economic growth in China, which has become one of the most coveted and largest markets in the world.

China's economy become more and more attractive to the global business community as it continued its robust expansion in the last five years. Shanghai, China's largest economic powerhouse, hosted the Fortune Forum in 1999, when China was also the central theme.

Hong Kong has been busy preparing for the business event, with its major hotels pledging to offer tip top service to the participants.

"We are proud of being a venue for this global event, and we are ready to help make the three-day forum proceed smoothly," said a spokesman for the Hong Kong Grand Hyatt.

The Grand Hyatt Hotel, which is next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the major venue of the forum, will serve as the headquarters of the forum.

Many business sessions will be held in the hotel's ballrooms, according to the spokesman.

The Hong Kong Harbour Plaza, located near the Hung Hom Ferry Pier of Kowloon Peninsular, has had a special long corridor covered with red tarpaulin set up leading from the pier to the hotel entrance to greet the guests attending the forum.

Participants in the forum will be able to take the ferry directly to the convention and exhibition centre.

Located in the central financial zone of Hong Kong, the Mandarin Oriental is another official hotel of the Fortune Global Forum 2001, accommodating a lot of participants.

Located near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and major financial institutions, the hotel mainly receives senior business people.

More than 1,000 journalists from some 130 media groups worldwide have registered for the event, by far exceeding the number of journalists reporting from previous fortune forums, officials in charge of media issues said.

Leading Western media, including CNN, the BBC and major European, US and Asian newspapers, have registered for the event.

Also joining the media battle are Chinese media, including Xinhua News Agency, China Daily and China Central Television.

To facilitate the media's coverage of the forum, organizers have set up a press centre on the fourth floor of the forum's venue to provide a variety of services.