GE's first China-based water treatment factory went on-stream on February 19 in Wuxi City, in eastern China's Jiangsu Province.

GE Betz Water & Process Chemicals (Wuxi) Co Ltd, a solely-funded company with an investment of US$10.5 million, will supply specialty chemicals for water treatment for both China and other Asian countries, according to Steven J. Schneider, chief executive officer of GE China.

The newly established company, covering an area of 30,000 sq m, has an annual output of 30,000 tons of reagent used for water and waste-water treatment, including water purification and fluid filtration.

To date, GE has opened water-treatment-related businesses in 20 of China's provinces and municipalities.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2004)