TPT July 2008

48 / 124

› July 2008 46
A s regularly evidenced in
the industry news section
of Tube & Pipe Technology,
there is an increasing clamour
from international companies to
establish regional offices and
subsidiaries in China.
Scattered across the length and
breadth of China’s enormous 9.6
million km2 territory, a profusion of
offices and manufacturing facilities
have been set up from Hong Kong
and Guangzhou, to Shanghai,
Tianjin and Beijing.
Sold Out:
Takes
And there is little wonder as
business in China remains
highly lucrative and seemingly
boundless. In 2007, the Chinese
economy stood at US$3.2 trillion
GDP (purchasing power parity),
with around US$75 billion of
foreign direct investment (FDI).
China’s tube and pipe import
and export activity continues to
prosper, with the government’s
11th five-year plan (2006-2010)
now well underway. The new
five-year plan includes the
construction of four major
pipelines for oil and natural gas
transport (25,000km in total), with
completion due in 2010.
To complement this economic and
industrial vitality, the upcoming
Olympic Games in Beijing are a
fine opportunity for China to break
down barriers and showcase
Chinese culture. Likewise, Tube
China 2008 will also be a great
place for the tube industry to
remove business barriers and
engender cooperation.