The 14th China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF 2012) was held in the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center on November 16, 2012. CAE Member Wu Hequan, former Vice President of CAE, attended the opening ceremony. This event was jointly sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Intellectual Property Office, the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as the Shenzhen Municipal People’s government. 

Both CAS and CAE Member Lu Yongxiang, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, announced the opening of the 14th China Hi-Tech Fair. Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, also Minister of Science and Technology, attended the opening ceremony. Jiang Zengwei, Vice Minister of Commerce, addressed the event. China Hi-Tech Fair 2012 was themed on “Promote Scientific and Technological Innovation, Upgrade the Development Quality”, aiming at giving full play to the role of the fair being an important platform for the gathering of innovation resources and promotion of scientific and technological innovation. The Fair aimed at promoting the industrialization of high technologies, boosting the international economic, scientific and technological exchange and cooperation, thus helping to propel the economic restructuring as well as the transformation of economic development pattern. 

CHTF 2012 covered six modules, namely, Commercialization of Hi-Tech Achievements; Showcase for Specialized Technologies and Products; China Hi-Tech Forum; super-SUPER Special Events; Hi-Tech Talents and Intellectual Resources Exchange; and an All Year-Round Fair. Numerous new technologies and products at home and from abroad were exhibited at the fair, focusing on energy conserving and environmental protection technologies, new information technology industry, biological industry, high-end equipment manufacturing industry, new energy industry, new energy vehicles as well as agricultural science and technology. 

Upon invitation of the National Development and Reform Commission, Wu Hequan attended the awarding ceremony for the National Innovation Capability and National Informatization Construction, as well as the thematic forum in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the National Engineering Research Center. Wu conferred prizes to winners and delivered a speech entitled “Cultivate the Core Competiveness of Industries”. The event also saw the presence of Zhang Xiaoqiang, Vice Chairman of NDRC, Shang Bing, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Shi Erwei, Vice President of CAS, among others.

Participating leaders conferred plates to 8 state industrial laboratories, 8 national engineering research centers, 47 engineering research centers jointly supported by the national and the local government or enterprises, 65 engineering laboratories featuring combined efforts of the nation and the local government or enterprises, 94 state-accredited enterprise technology centers as well as 8 major demonstration projects for the application of the internet of things. 

On the same day, upon invitation of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Wu Hequan attended the TD-LTE Industry Development Forum, during which he made an academic presentation entitled “Big Data -- Opportunities and Challenges for Broadband Mobile Communication Technology and Industry”. 

The Summit Forum on the Integration of Three Networks, an important component of the Fair sponsored by CAE, was held on November 17. Wu Hequan addressed this event on behalf of CAE. He also gave an academic report entitled “Video Mode for the Integration of Three Networks” at the forum, warmly received by the audience. CAE Member Qian Qingquan was also present at the forum. (By Zhao Wencheng, November 2012; translated by Liu Chang)