Qingdao, a coastal city in East China`s Shandong Province, hopes to host the biggest consumer electronics show in Asia-Pacific region, with the help of two leading industrial organizations, one in China and the other in the United States, China Daily reports.

    Representatives of the city, where the China International Electronics Show (SinoCES) has been held twice - first in 2001, then again in 2002, but cancelled 2003 because of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), said in Beijing that it would change the name of its fair into the Asia Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and make it the biggest trade show in the industry in Asia, under the auspices of the the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) in the United States, the biggest such association in the world.

    "We hope to achieve this goal in two or three years," said Cui Weidong, deputy director of the Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation of Qingdao, which is a major sponsor of SinoCES 2004, scheduled for June 18 to 21 next year.

    Help from the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (CECC) and CEA is critical to the success of SinoCES, Cui believes.

    Wang Ning, vice-president and secretary-general of CECC, said more than 30 foreign electronics associations had registered to come to the fair in Qingdao on his organization`s invitation.

    The electronics associations in China, Japan and South Korea will also hold an industrial summit during the 2004 show with the participation of senior executives from more than 20 leading companies from the countries to discuss opportunities and problems.

    CECC also reached a preliminary agreement with CEA to make the latter a co-sponsor of SinoCES, and the final agreement is expected to be signed in January at the CES 2004 in Las Vegas.

    Digital television products and technologies will be a highlight of the SinoCES.

    Wang revealed that more than 20 TV stations in the country will bring their procurement orders for digital TV equipment to the fair, and total transactions in the field could reach 8 billion yuan (US$966 million).

    Qingdao also plans to spend 1.8 billion yuan (US$217 million) over three years to build the second phase of the Shandong International Exhibition Centre, where SinoCES is held.

    Total transactions at SinoCES 2004 are expected to reach 25 billion yuan (US$3.02 billion), compared with 12 billion yuan (US$1.45 billion) for 2001 and 17 billion yuan (US$2.05 billion) for 2002.(SD News)