Beijing, China's national capital, is ready to go while the opening ceremony of the 5th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo is in a countdown.

The theme of the exposition, scheduled from May 23 to 28, is "WTO, Olympic Games, Innovation and Development," according to Deputy-Mayor Zhang Mao, who is also secretary-general of the organizing committee for the week-long event.

The expo includes exhibitions, forums, technology and trade fairs, and a series of on-line activities, says Chen Gang, chairman of the city's international trade promotion association and an executive secretary-general of the organizing committee.

The expo is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information Industry, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, State Intellectual Property Office, and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality.

(People's Daily May 16, 2002)