Chinese language - Water market to open further

BIZCHINA / Center

Water market to open further

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-04-20 15:36

China will further open its water market to foreign investment to help
address the country's issues of increasingly scare water supply and waste
water treatment, according to officials attending the China Water
Congress 2007 in Bejijing today.

"China's demand for water will continue to increase in the future as the
country continues its process of rapid industrialization and
urbanization. And so there are promising business prospects in the water
industry, both in water supply and water waste treatment," said Qin Hong,
deputy director of the Policy Research Centre under the Ministry of
Construction , at the two-day congress, which opened yesterday.

During the 11th Five-Year Program period (2006-2010), total investment in
China's water industry will top 600 billion yuan (US$77.72 billion), 200
billion yuan of which will go towards water supply systems construction,
and 400 billion yuan will be injected into new sewage treatment
facilities, Qin made the announcement to the congress, which attracted
about 300 water business leaders from countries including France,
Germany, Australia and Japan.

In the meantime, China will build 1,000 new sewage treatment plants. By
the year 2010, the rate of water supply systems will reach 90 percent in
all 661 of its cities. Qin adds the rate of waste water treatment and
recycling will increase to 60 per cent.

Apart from these development plans, China will also start a number of sea
water and middle-water treatment projects and the reconstruction of some
out-of-date water facilities.

The development of China's water industry will provide tremendous
business opportunities to overseas water investors. And to achieve its
goals, China needs the support of overseas funds, stressed Chinese
officials at the meeting.

"Foreign investment will be encouraged especially in waste water
treatment projects," Qin explained. The congress is a platform to help
foreign water companies to learn the recent developments of China's water
industry and the business opportunities in the future.

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