More than 300 scientists from 27 countries will gather in Beijing later this month for the world's first international symposium on development strategies for "Digital Earth."

Chen Qingtai, president of the organizing committee and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on November 18 the symposium will be the first of this kind in the world since the "Digital Earth" concept was unveiled by United States Vice-President Al Gore in early 1998.

The concept is another major strategic development initiative of global importance, following other US vital concepts such as "information highway" and "knowledge-based economy", Chen said.

"Digital Earth" is the process through which any geographical object on earth can be digitized and made available on the Internet for both economic and military use.

The five-day symposium, launched by 17 Chinese ministries, is scheduled to begin on November 29 at Beijing's International Convention Center.