A company based in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been able to manufacture 600-kilowatt wind-power generating units which incorporate the country's highest technology level.

China's wind power has developed vigorously in recent years, and by the end of 1998 the installed capacity of wind power had risen to 230,000 kilowatts.

Traditionally, most of China's wind-power generating units were imported, a factor hindering the expansion of wind power, since foreign equipment and after-sales maintenance were costly.

The Xinjiang Wind Energy Company started researching the production of large wind-power generating units in late 1997.

Last month, a group of scientists entrusted by the Ministry of Science and Technology evaluated the generating units designed by the company and expressed satisfaction with the equipment's performance.

They concluded that the units are equal to imported ones and should be widely introduced throughout China. (Xinhua)