President Hu Jintao to Deliver Keynote Address at 2005 FORTUNE Global Forum.

BEIJING -- The State Council Information Office (SCIO) and FORTUNE Magazine today announced that President Hu Jintao will deliver the keynote address at the FORTUNE Global Forum in Beijing on the evening of May 16th.

"As co-hosts of the FORTUNE Global Forum in Beijing we are very proud to announce today that President Hu Jintao will deliver the keynote address at the Forum. We are also pleased to announce the confirmed participation of a number of Chinese government Ministers and dignitaries. We are very confident that this high level of participation from the Chinese government coupled with the international attention the Forum is already receiving will combine to make the event a resounding success," said Qian Xiaoqian, Vice Minister of the State Council Information Office.

The FORTUNE Global Forum, themed "China and the New Asian Century", will bring multinational business leaders and top government officials from around the world together in Beijing May 16-18, 2005. The Forum will go beyond the economic numbers and take a balanced look at the deeper story behind China's emergence as a power in the region and in the world.

The program will include a mix of plenary sessions, workshops and events providing an in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges to multi-national corporations and countries as they do business throughout Asia.

The 2005 Fortune Global Forum will be the ninth FORTUNE Global Forum, and the third held in China.

"We are very happy with the progress we are making in preparing for the forum, thanks especially to the enthusiastic commitment shown by the China's top leaders," said Rik Kirkland, Managing Editor, FORTUNE Magazine. "The forum is shaping up to be the biggest event in China this year. President Hu's participation shows that the FORTUNE Global Forum enjoys China's support at the highest level."

The Forum will be held at landmark venues across Beijing including an opening dinner at the Temple of Heaven and main sessions at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Receptions will be held at the Great Hall of the People and the Rostrum at Tiananmen Gate.

"Beijing is thrilled to host such a prestigious and high-profile event as the FORTUNE Global Forum. Plans are coming together well as we prepare for a world class gathering of world class leaders, " said Wang Hui, Director of the Beijing Municipal Information Office.

More than 300 overseas participants will be present at the Forum, including the leaders of major companies from the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia such as HSBC, General Motors, Samsung, Qualcomm, Disney, E-Bay, Infosys and Haier. These delegates will be joined by more than 200 Chinese business leaders.

Previous participants in the FORTUNE Global Forum have included George HW Bush, 41st President of the United States, Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minster, United Kingdom, Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister of Singapore, Jacques Chirac, President of France, Jiang Zemin, former president of the People's Republic of China, William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, and the chairmen and CEOs of major corporations including ABB, Alcoa, Bank of China, Boeing, Citigroup, Daewoo group, eBay, General Electric, Daimler Chrysler, Dell Computer, Motorola, Nissan, Nokia, Novartis, Shanghai Auto Industry Corp., Sony, Xerox, Yahoo and many others.

Major sponsors of the FORTUNE Global Forum are HSBC, Oracle, Cathay Pacific (official airline), Ernst & Young and Shell. The Forum also enjoys support from: ABB, Altria, Bulgari, Land Rover, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and McKinsey & Co.