China Beijing International High-Tech Expo (CHITEC) is a major national hi-tech expo that takes place every May in Beijing. It is an event approved by China’s State Council, sponsored by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (formerly known as Ministry of Information Industry), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), State Intellectual Property Office and the city government of Beijing, and organized by the Beijing Council for the Promotion of International Trade. 

CCPIT was initiated in 1998, known as China Beijing High-tech Industry International Week at that time. It was renamed to its current name in 2002 at the fifth edition of the event.

The aim of the event is to promote the commercialization, market-based operation and internationalization of the technology industry. The initiation of CHITEC fits into the direction of international economic development, and helps to centrally demonstrate the strengths and uniqueness of Beijing. It is a move the Chinese government has taken to implement the strategy of “energizing the nation through research & education” and “energizing trade through science & technology”, and is also a reflection of the strategic requirement of the capital city’s economic sector that is centered on the development of new & high technologies.

CHITEC is operated in the form of exhibitions, forums and biztalks. These activities are interconnected and echo each other. The exhibitions highlight industries related to new & high technologies, which are the priorities of the country, including electronic & communications technologies, computer network, energy & environmental protection, biomedicine, and auto technology. The forums rely on Beijing’s advantage in resources to focus on topics that are inspiring, forward looking, international and authoritative, resulting in a number of brand-named activities involving independent innovation, energy strategy, innovative service industry, new technologies & cultural creative industry, and circular economy. Biztalks run in both ways—inbound and outbound, emphasizing the organization of the demand side, highlighting the specialty of the talks, and having formed series brand-named activities involving international investment projects, overseas investment by Chinese enterprises, and provincial delegations.

The country’s leaders attach great importance to CHITEC, which has also attracted widespread participation from international community and hi-tech industry both at home and abroad. Each year, senior government leaders would attend various activities of CHITEC, to demonstrate the government’s resolution to develop hi-tech industry by visiting exhibitions, receiving foreign guests, and delivering keynote speeches; leaders of international organizations, senior government officials from other countries, as well as leading international experts, scholars and entrepreneurs would also speak at the forums of CHITEC.

Starting from the third edition, provisional government and technology/trade delegations from all the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and most “separately planned” cities in Mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau Special Administration Regions and Taiwan would be represented at CHITEC each year. Leading international technology companies including Nokia, Matsushita, Samsung, and LG Electronics as well as leading local technology companies including Lenovo, Haier, Hisense, Changhong, Shougang, and Stone have attended the event for several years in a row.

CHITEC helps to showcase China’s development policy and environment, promote the commercialization, industrialization and internationalization process of new & high technologies, introduce the latest concepts & ideas for economic growth and technology revolution around the world, and boost regional economic development.

After more than ten years accumulation and development, CHITEC has become the window for China to engage in international exchange, and has also become one of the key technology & trade events that are highly specialized and highly international for China to showcase the latest technologies, spread the frontier ideas, release industrial policies, and promote international economic & technical cooperation.

According to statistics, in the previous 15 editions of CHITEC, contracts were signed for a total of 4829 projects, with a total contract value of USD77.71billion; 640 foreign governments and delegations were received, and the number of participants was nearly 4 million person-times; the total exhibition area reached 850 thousand square meters, and the number of Chinese & foreign organizations and enterprises was over 28.5 thousand; 186 forums were organized, involving 4132 Chinese & foreign speakers; 174 biztalks were held, attracting 97.6 thousand Chinese & foreign merchants.