China would like to enhance information exchanges with the world through the forum on City Informationization in the Asia-Pacific Region (CIAPR), Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju said Wednesday.

In a written statement at the closing ceremony of the fifth annual forum of the CIAPR, Huang said that as globalization speedup, information technology has had great impact on the economic and social development of all nations.

At present, China has been accelerating the information construction while maintaining comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, so as to enable the information industry to prop up economic and social development more effectively, he said.

"China is facing both challenges and opportunities, and needs to learn from the other countries through the exchanges and cooperation during the information construction process," he said.

Huang said he believed that the annual meeting of the CIAPR, with the theme of "Information Technology for Development," will promote renovation.

During the three-day forum, ministerial-level and mayor-level meetings were held, focusing on "information and sustainable development" and "informationization and city developments." The forum drew nearly 1,000 participants.

The forum is co-sponsored by the Shanghai municipal government, the State Council Informationization Office, Ministry of Information Industry, the United Nations Development Program and other organizations.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2005)