Dec. 11, 2000

South China's Guandong province is planning to build a so-called "Photon Valley" near its capital Guangzhou, ( or "Canton" in English ) in five to ten year, according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua.

A provincial government official was quoted as saying that Guandong will turn the electro-optic industry in the valley into a pillar industry for the province, a major manufacturing Center of the electro-optic industry in the world, and a global center for research and personnel training.

In 1999, foreign advisors to the governor of Guangdong suggested the idea. Thirteen enterprises have since registered in the development zone and science city of Guangzhou to develop the electro-optic industry, with investments totaling more than US$ 200 million.

The official said that Guandong has listed the valley in its Tenth Five-Year Plan and will issue a series of preferential policies to help boost the development of the electro-optical industry here.