China exported US$25.98 billion worth of high-tech commodities in the first nine months this year, up 52.5 per cent from the same period last year.

The growth has far exceeded the country's average of 33 per cent for the January-September period, according to a senior trade official.

High-tech commodities have become an important impetus in propelling China's exports, said Xu Fuxing, chief of science and technology division of China's trade ministry, at a symposium held during the ongoing 88th China (Guangzhou) Export Commodities Fair.

It is expected that this year's export of high-tech commodities will hit US$30 billion, accounting for 15 per cent of the country's entire exports, said Xu.

Since early last year, China has built a joint working system between four Chinese ministries and worked out preferential policies regarding the import and export autonomy, taxation, credit, tax rebates, insurance, investment and fund raising, in order to support export of high-tech commodities.

So far, said Xu, China has set up 53 State-level high-tech development zones where 160 major high-tech enterprises and 16 high-tech exporting bases are located.

The country has also organized a series of annual events to increase exchanges with the outside world and the export of high-tech commodities.

As a result, high-tech product export has kept fast growth, and its share of the country's total export increased from 6.8 per cent in 1995 to 12.7 per cent last year. According to Xu, China plans to export US$120 billion of high-tech commodities by the ear, which will account for 30 per cent of the country's total exports.

Xinhua