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Beijing should fast-track the planning and building of two more large-scale exhibition centers to meet growing demand, according to a research study just released.

The report, issued by the Beijing Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference recently, said of the numerous conference and exhibition centers in Beijing, none possessed a space above 100,000 square meters. As a result, it was hard for some large-scale conferences and exhibitions to be arranged in the Chinese capital.

Owing to space constraints, Auto China 2002 held here in early June had to turn away a number of major applicants, including Fiat and Ferrari, it noted. The Beijing International Conference Center, a relatively large conference center, was booked ahead to 2003.

Beijing, which was well positioned to develop a "conference and exhibition economy," could become a leading conference and exhibition center in Asia in 10 years, the report said.

"In conjunction with planning for the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing should fast-track the planning and construction of a World Trade Center and an exhibition center," it said.

Beijing has accounted for 70 percent of conferences and exhibitions held in China in the past years. During the Ninth five-year period 1996-2000, its International Exhibition Center alone earned a total of more than 500 million yuan (60.24 million US dollars) from its exhibition space, with an annual growth rate of 46.2 percent.

By the end of 2001, there were nearly 200 registered exhibition companies in Beijing. Conferences and exhibitions in the municipality also support 800 design and advertising firms, 200 engineering companies and some 100 transport businesses.