PREPARATIONS for this year's China Hi-tech Fair (CHTF), have been going smoothly, according to Wang Jiansu with the management office of China Hi-tech Transfer Center.

　　"This year, more and more foreign government institutions and well-known enterprises decided to join the fair quite early and many of them booked exhibition booths six months ago.

　　"This is a sign of the internationally increasing popularity of the CHTF, which is held annually in Shenzhen," Wang said.

　　So far, 15 countries, including the U.S., Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, Demark, Australia, and India, will send delegations to the fair. The foreign delegations have so far booked 1,200sqm.

　　IN addition, the Hong Kong SAR delegation has booked 396sqm and the Macao SAR delegation is planning to book 180sqm.

　　Over 140 domestic and overseas enterprises have applied or signed contracts to take part in the IT exhibition.

　　The demand for space is way over the center's capacity. Among 14 transnational companies that have booked 1,200sq m are IBM, Intel, NTT, Sony, MSC, Canon, and Sanyo. Well-known domestic enterprises include Great Wall, Legend, Konka, Shinco, Kingdee and Seg. These have booked a total of about 1,400sqm.

　　The biotech exhibition has attracted foreign enterprises from Germany, Korea, South Africa, and Canada, including the Roche Group, a Switzerland-based Global 500 company.

　　Deere, a U.S.-based Global 500 company, has entered its name for the agro-tech exhibition.

　　China's 34 provincial governments, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, except Ningxia and Xiamen, will send delegations to the fair. The display area they have applied for totals 5,612sqm.

　　Domestic institutions of higher education will organized their own delegations. Over 200 overseas Chinese students have expressed intentions to join the fair and they will present more than 100 projects.  The Exhibition Center can provide a total display area of 50,000sqm, which includes Display Halls A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, E, F1 as well as ten display halls in the Museum of Shenzhen Citizens Center.