Honorable Vice chairman Zhou Tienong,

and Respected Governor Luo Qingquan

Dear Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like, on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce, to take the opportunity of holding the 7th China International Machinery & Electronic Products Expo in Wuhan to extend my hearty congratulations to the opening of the Expo and warm welcome to all the guests here.

China International Machinery & Electronic Products Expo was a national expo in central China for electromechanical industry approved by the State Council, as well as the important platform and window for western and central China to open to the outside. Within the past 7 years, the Expo always adhered to the theme of "electromechanical manufacture creating unlimited fortune", and its internationalization and professionalizing level were further improved through mutual efforts of supporters and sponsors, its influence was also enhanced step by step, which became the significant driving power pushing forward the optimization of electromechanical industry and the integration into international economic cooperation in western and central China.

The CPC Central Committee put forward that the central region should build up an important national base with capacity of self-initiated innovation, modern equipment manufacturing and high technology. Depending on the Expo as a platform, the Central China should further improve the level of opening up and enhance the innovation capacity and international competition of electromechanical industry, which were the only way to expedite the construction of modern equipment manufacturing and hi-tech industrial bases and the key approach to realize the rising of Central China. I hope that the Expo will play a more important role in promotion of healthy development of electromechanical industry in China especially in Western and Central China.

I wish the Expo a complete success!

Thanks!

(Source: Network Center of MOFCOM)