Tianjin, a port city in north China, pledged to develop its information technology (IT) industry into a top-grade IT base and manufacture world-class IT products, said Tianjin Mayor Dai Xianglong.

Tianjin will explore various favorable policies of finance, taxation, talents, and science and technology to promote the development of IT industry, said Dai, to the ongoing four-day Mid-Year Seminar and Exhibition of Pacific Telecommunication Council (PTC).

He said the IT sector will generate 300 billion yuan (US$36.2 billion) in industrial output value a year in five-year's development.

In the first six months of 2004, Tianjin's IT output value roseby 47 percent from last year, reaching 66.6 billion yuan (US$8.04 billion).

Tianjin has nearly 1,000 IT companies. Of them, 584 are overseas-funded businesses, including Motorola, Samsung, LG. and IBM.

Dai Said the PTC is an influential organization and its annual mid-year seminar is playing a vital role in development of the IT industry worldwide.

The ongoing PTC mid-year seminar has arranged 11 forums including China's policy of telecom, investment environment of telecom, e-government and development trend of software.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2004)