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SARS proves a boon for China`s information industry
Beijing, Jun 02: The outbreak of SARS epidemic in China has given a boost to the country`s booming information industry with people forced to stay indoors for weeks, buying more computers and mobile phones and using the internet to stay in touch with the outside world.
Beijing, Jun 02: The outbreak of SARS epidemic in China has given a boost to the country's booming information industry with people forced to stay indoors for weeks, buying more computers and mobile phones and using the internet to stay in touch with the outside world.
China's information industry saw a phenomenal growth of 29 per cent in the first four months of this year despite the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) has said.
MII statistics for January-April show sales of the manufacturing sector of the information and electronics industries totalled 452.4 billion yuan (54.7 billion US dollars), up 28.9 per cent over the same period of last year. Software products sales were 45 billion yuan (5.4 billion US dollars), up 22 per cent.
An MII official said the outbreak of SARS boosted on-line business, teaching, and governmental administration, which was obviously an impetus for computer products market.
"In spite of the outbreak of SARS, the whole information industry maintained strong momentum and continued to be a major driving force behind the country's industrial growth," the official said.
By the end of April, sales of personal computers and displays increased by 60.1 per cent and 53 per cent respectively over the same period of last year, with the proportion of laptops in PC sales amounting to 20.2 per cent, up from 7.2 per cent last year.
China's information industry saw a phenomenal growth of 29 per cent in the first four months of this year despite the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) has said.
MII statistics for January-April show sales of the manufacturing sector of the information and electronics industries totalled 452.4 billion yuan (54.7 billion US dollars), up 28.9 per cent over the same period of last year. Software products sales were 45 billion yuan (5.4 billion US dollars), up 22 per cent.
An MII official said the outbreak of SARS boosted on-line business, teaching, and governmental administration, which was obviously an impetus for computer products market.
"In spite of the outbreak of SARS, the whole information industry maintained strong momentum and continued to be a major driving force behind the country's industrial growth," the official said.
By the end of April, sales of personal computers and displays increased by 60.1 per cent and 53 per cent respectively over the same period of last year, with the proportion of laptops in PC sales amounting to 20.2 per cent, up from 7.2 per cent last year.