Forum to Fuel IT Sector DevelopmentMore than 10 leading Israeli companies in the IT sector gathered in a forum in Shanghai to discuss their relationship with their Chinese counterparts.The forum - the first of its kind, which opened yesterday - will beef up the development of Shanghai's IT sector, according to organizers from the Shanghai Municipal Informatization Office and the Consulate General of Israel. "In the past five years, the trade between Shanghai and Israel has witnessed a great upsurge," said Shilomi Kofman, vice-consul of the Consulate General of Israel in Shanghai. "However, if more Israeli IT companies are set up in the city, the import from Israel will experience an even greater leap. This will further strengthen the business ties between Shanghai and Israel." In 2000, trade between China and Israel amounted to US$900 million, among which US$300 million was import from Israel. "This year, with the co-operation with Shanghai - the biggest commercial city in China - we'll strive to make the bilateral trade surpass US$1 billion," said Shilomi Kofman. At present, the first three categories of import from Israel into Shanghai are information and telecommunications technology, chemicals and agriculture. The annual import in the IT sector from Israel is increasing by the rate of 16 per cent. According to the information from the Informatization Office, major Israel exporters in IT sectors are privately owned enterprises. "Holding discussions with such enterprises is very enlightening for me, as I gain management experience concerning rapidly expanding small and medium-sized companies here," said Zhou Wenbin, vice-director of the Shanghai Municipal Internet Economy Consulting Centre. Shanghai IT companies also gained experience in technology transfers from their Israeli counterparts. Currently, Israel IT companies enjoy a competitive edge over their Chinese counterparts in the field of fibre optic communication, medication machinery and base station construction, according to the informatization office. "The co-operation between Shanghai companies and the Israelis will not only speed up the progress of technology transfer, it will also help Shanghai companies expand their overseas market," said Zhou Wenbin. Sources: China Daily |
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