Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang will attend the PT/Expo Comm China 2004 event in Beijing tonight to promote ITU Telecom World 2006 to be held in Hong Kong.

PT/Expo Comm will be held from October 26 to 30 and is one the largest exhibitions in information and telecommunications products and services in Asia. It is held every two years in Beijing.

The Commerce, Industry & Technology Bureau has set up an exhibition booth to promote ITU Telecom World 2006 and provide information and assistance to Mainland and international enterprises to encourage their participation in the event which will be held December 4 to 8, 2006, for the first time outside Geneva since its inception in 1971.

100,000 overseas visitors expected

The event may attract up to 100,000 overseas visitors, generating about $1.2 billion for Hong Kong. The local hospitality and tourism industries will reap substantial benefits from the event.

The event comprises two parts - the exhibition and the forum. The exhibition enables industry players to showcase their latest equipment, services or technologies, while the forum provides a platform for participants to debate critical issues of policy and regulations, key technologies and business applications.

It will be staged at the AsiaWorld-Expo now under construction near Hong Kong International Airport. It will be completed by the end of next year.