This was the first International Exhibition of Police Equipment-China Police-2002 to be held in the Chinese capital. One hundred and ten manufacturers from overseas and 153 domestic factories with their cutting-edge products made the exhibition one of the hottest sites in Beijing.

"The exhibition aims to modernize police equipment and production technology in China," said Tao Junsheng, an organizing committee official who added that the exhibition has drawn manufacturers from 19 countries and regions.

Police departments from all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across China have representatives at the exhibition, and many of them are here to purchase, said Tao, also deputy director of the Equipment and Financial Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security.

A variety of police helicopters, patrol cars, weapons, physical protection ware and police uniforms as well as equipment for the purpose of defense, telecommunications and criminal investigation filled the 10,000 square meters exhibition center and its front square.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, at the moment there are only 10 helicopters being used by the Chinese police, which are not inadequate to meet the requirement, and police authorities planned two years ago to double their helicopter numbers in five years.

"In fact, numerous local police authorities have contacted foreign manufacturers, intending to buy their helicopters," said the official.

At the stand of France-based Eurocopter, one of the world's largest helicopter makers, a salesman said that Christian Geandreau, the sales manager in charge of the firm's business in the Asia-Pacific area, had left the exhibition an hour earlier for Shenzhen at south China to sign a contract with the Public Security Department of Guangdong Province for the sale of its two helicopters.

The salesman said the firm has had extensive cooperation with Chinese manufacturers and up until now had received orders for about "several hundred helicopters."

"Now they have a clearer understanding of the functions and use of the helicopter for public security, I can predict that the Chinese police departments will order an increasing number of products from us," he said.

Dozens of visitors clustered at the stand of the U.S. company, E.C. Ryan International, Inc., scrutinizing a staff demonstrating a Microviper, a high-tech product, which can detect almost any traces at the scene of a crime by magnifying objects up to 200 times.

The firm also exhibits a number of other products, including robots to disassemble explosives and to act as drug detectors.

"After the September 11 Accident, security became one of the top issues for many countries including China," says E.C. Ryan, owner of the company, adding that with the coming of the 2008 Olympic games, China's police equipment market has a large potential to tap into.

Russian manufacturers also showed ardent interest in the exhibition.

Twelve Russian factories under the lead of the Russian Rosoboron Export State Corporation displayed their products, including non-lethal weapons and defense weapons used for anti-terror and civil security safeguard.

Anatoliy P. Isaykin, head of the Russian delegation cited the exhibition as unique in Asia and said it would surely become the largest exhibition of special equipment in Asia.

"The exhibition will draw attention from all over the world given the current situation when anti-terror cooperation and security have high priority throughout the world," he said.

Chinese manufacturers, with their products filling half the exhibition hall, also remained strong in front of their foreign rivals.

The police armed vehicle for special uses made by Baoji Automobile Corp. at northwest China's Shaanxi province attracted many visitors as well as reporters.

Wang Bao, president of the firm said that the new type of police vehicle that has just come off the production line, is used mainly for anti-terror and anti-riot purposes.

Wang said they have received quite a few orders and the public security departments in major cities like Beijing are also in contact with them.

Tao Junsheng, the official with the Ministry of Public Security, admitted that Chinese police's equipment still lags behind that of developed countries.

About 400 police die in each of the past few years and 7,000 others are hurt or wounded, said Tao, noting that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security hopes to update the police equipment and production technology through the exhibition for a better protection of the Chinese police's lives as well as to maintain social stability more efficiently.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security is now increasing its budget for equipments by 10 percent per year.

According to the organizer, from this year on, the International Exhibition of Police Equipment will be held every two years.

( June 12, 2002)