Publisher Origin Sources is launching an annual directory of China's building material industry in response to demand from overseas companies. Company sales manager Alice Yu said the company would spend about $60,000 to promote the China Building Materials Directory 1997, to be published in February. China's State Administration of Building Materials Industry will help promote the publication, which will have a circulation of 60,000 and cost $280. Ms Yu said most of the building materials sourced in Hong Kong for the China market were imported from Europe, America and Southeast Asia. Many foreign companies wanted to know more about the needs of the country's building material industry, she said. 'We find that Hong Kong advertisers and readers prefer to have one directory instead of a monthly magazine. 'The directory acts as a catalogue that provides the guidelines for the industry,' Ms Yu said. The 600-page directory is to include 200 pages of advertising and 24 categories of building materials with supplier profiles. Ms Yu said Origin planned to launch an English-language version of its 35,000-circulation China Building Materials by September next year.