The 2004 annual meeting of the China Development Forum will be held on March 21-22 in Beijing with a focus on the implementation of China's sustainable development strategy.

Sponsored by the Development Research Center of the State Council, the meeting has set "China's all-round, coordinated and sustainable development" as its theme.

Sources with the research center said that the meeting attracted over 100 world famous scholars, officials with international organizations, entrepreneurs of global leading corporations and high-ranking officials from the Chinese government.

Xu Kuangdi, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission, Maurice Greenberg, board chairman of AIG (American International Group) and Nick Scheele, COO of Ford Motor Company, were confirmed to attend the meeting, said the source.

Intensive discussion will center on the changes in China's economic growth mode, the coordinated development between domestic and international markets, reasonable utilization of natural resources, and the establishment and venture reduction of the banking system.

The China Development Forum has held four annual meetings and three international seminars since its founding in 2000.