1.
GV Exhibition entrance.
0.03

2.
SV Dutch stand.
0.06

3.
SV Agricultural equipment.
0.11

4.
GV Australian marquee and people outside. (2 SHOTS)
0.22

5.
SV Equipment demonstration.
0.26

6.
GV People looking at tractors.
0.32

7.
GV Canadian stand, and people looking at heavy tractor. (4 SHOTS)
0.54

8.
GV United Kingdom stand, people reading leaflets, shown around tractors. (3 SHOTS)
1.07

9.
SV People looking at model.
1.12

10.
GV German stand, and man with German tractor.
1.26


Agricultural is one of the four planksin China's programme to transform the nation into a powerful socialist state by the turn of the century Foreign observers have doubts about how fast China's agricultural mechanisation programme is advancing. The exhibition should give some indication to this.




Initials JS/1603



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Two hundred companies from twelve countries are displaying agricultural machinery at China's first ever international exhibition. They're hoping to cash in on China's determined effort to modernise it agricultural industry with up to date imported machinery.

SYNOPSIS: The exhibition, in Peking, goes on for two weeks. Although most European countries, Canada, australia and Japan are represented, one notable absentee is the United States. Volvo of Sweden, Fiat of Italy, and Massey-Ferguson of Canada are among the leading manufacturers hoping to benefit from the potentially vast Chinese market.

The majority of China's 900 million people work on the land. The Government has vowed to turn the country into a powerful socialist nation by the turn of the century by concentrating on development in agriculture, industry, defence, and technology. And although the Chinese say they'll rely mainly on their won efforts to achieve their goal, they say they realise that Western technology has much to offer their agricultural industry.

Chinese agricultural specialists and ordinary commune members rub shoulders at the exhibition where the emphasis is definitely on heavy machinery. the equipment ranges from dump trucks and bulldozers, through farm tractors and harvesters to specialised machines from Switzerland suitable for mountain terrain. China still has considerable farming problems including natural disasters like flooding and drought. It's hoped that some of the technology on display at this exhibition can help them overcome these.