The scenic city of Suzhou in eastChina's Jiangsu Province exported more than seven billion US dollars worth of goods in 1999, up 30 percent over the previous year.

This export value accounts for more than 40 percent of the city's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a local official source.

A large portion of these exports was shipped by the city's foreign-funded enterprises, the source said.

Suzhou's exports went mainly to the United States and Japan, but the city now has expanded its overseas markets in the Middle East, South America, South Africa. and Eastern Europe.

Machinery and electronic products accounted for more than half of the city's export goods, while exports of high-tech products are on the increase.