GREEN FAIR: Visitors examine a wind power generator model at the Clean Energy Expo China, held at the National Convention Center in Beijing on June 22-24. More than 300 enterprises from home and abroad attend the expo (ZHAO BING)

Going European

Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. on June 19 set up its European office in Paris, its second overseas branch after its U.S. office, marking a new step for China's aviation industry in international exchanges.

The Chinese aerospace manufacturer has forged cooperative relationships with dozens of enterprises and institutions in many countries and regions since its establishment in May 2008 in Shanghai.

Regional jet ARJ21 and the large passenger plane C919 are two flagship products of the young Chinese company.

OEM Factory

Compal Electronics Inc., a major contract manufacturer of laptops, on June 20 signed an agreement with the Chongqing Municipal Government to build a production base in Chongqing.

The Taiwan-based company is the last of the world's six largest computer contract manufacturers to have plants in Chongqing as the city strives to become the world's largest OEM (original equipment manufacturer) base for laptops.

Compal's Chongqing base would combine research and design and the production and sales of desktops, laptops, TV sets and other digital products, plus spare parts and accessories.

BYD's IPO

Investors began subscribing to new shares of BYD Co. Ltd., the Chinese car maker backed by U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett, on June 21 after the company set its initial public offering (IPO) price at 18 yuan ($2.8) a day before.

The company, which already has shares listed in Hong Kong, planned to sell up to 79 million shares, in an IPO on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SSE) on June 20.

BYD Chairman and founder Wang Chuanfu said the company aims to focus on new energy while enhancing business in traditional cars and electronic products.

The automaker planned to use the raised money to establish a research and manufacturing base and invest in a lithium battery production project and expand its auto unit projects.

Fair Promotion

China's Zhengzhou National Commodity Fair and Consumer Goods Expo held a promotional conference in Hanoi on June 21 for its 17th fair.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the fair is held in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province annually. The 17th fair will open on September 16-18 and it will for the first time set up an ASEAN pavilion.

Dao Ngoc Chuong, deputy head of the Asia-Pacific market division of Viet Nam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, said China has been Viet Nam's largest trading partner since 2004 and Viet Nam-China investment cooperation has made remarkable achievements in recent years.

Xu Songyun, Deputy Director of the Zhengzhou Exhibition Management Office, said the Zhengzhou commodity fair can serve as a platform for ASEAN enterprises to enter the Chinese market, helping them to promote ASEAN's industries and specialty goods in China.