ACHEMASIA repeats, featuring basic systems

Abstract

In a world of economic recession and political change, how to handle business and technology dealings with China has been something of a puzzle for many Western companies—especially in light of the Chinese government's crackdown on dissent at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in June 1989. For the international chemical technology community, that predicament has been exemplified in reactions to ACHEMASIA, an international meeting on chemical engineering and biotechnology first held in 1989 not long after the Tiananmen Square events. Last month, ACHEMASIA took to the floor at Beijing's China International Exhibition Center for the second time. Participation by exhibitors and presenters was down 25% from the first meeting. Nevertheless, the official commitment to ACHEMASIA remains strong. The meeting and exposition are a Far Eastern equivalent to Germany's ACHEMA, held every third year in Frankfurt and generally recognized as the largest exhibition-congress in the world for chemical plant equipment and engineerin...