Everybody in China is going hi-tech these days. Any respectable city on the mainland has at least one high-technology industrial park. Shenzhen will soon have its second stock market board to list shares of hi-tech firms.
The southern city not long ago held its prestigious technology fair, showing off its latest innovations.
Beijing and Xian have followed with their own technology shows and Shanghai, of course, is not to be outdone. This week the east China city is holding its International Industry Fair - also fondly known as the 2000 High Technology Achievements Exhibit.
'This will give momentum to a strategic adjustment of the economic structure and boost the quality and competitiveness of industry,' a city government official said.
There are, however, differing views on what constitutes high technology. Readers should judge for themselves the usefulness of the achievements.
My favourite out of about 900 displays at the fair is the portable toilet. Now I do not want to mislead our readers. I am not talking about any old toilet. This is a special device built by Tsinghua Unisplendour, a company linked to Tsinghua University in Beijing.