China banks on B2B exchange

China is building an online procurement exchange to support its $80 billion electronics industry.

Called e-Hub, the electronic data exchange is aimed at providing Chinese manufacturers of electronics and other products with a way to exchange information online with international customers and suppliers.

Business Commerce, the Hong Kong subsidiary of Global eXchange Services, and ChinaECNet will jointly develop e-Hub. ChinaECNet is a joint venture of the China Center for Industry Information Development--under the Ministry of Information Industry--Avnet and Global Techmart.

Wayne Chao, chief executive officer of ChinaECNet, touted e-Hub as China's premier procurement and logistic-data exchange platform. "This will greatly help the Chinese (original equipment manufacturing) market improve material management efficiency and overcome the challenges caused by the rapid globalization of the Chinese electronics industry."

The business-to-business platform will be based on RosettaNet and XML-based technologies to ensure interoperability with other trading communities worldwide.

In related news, RosettaNet also took center stage in Singapore this week. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore announced on Tuesday support for the open e-business standards. The government revealed its new Collaborative High-Tech Manufacturing Plan, in which companies are encouraged to integrate their supply chain information systems using RosettaNet processes and standards.

Isabelle Chan of CNETAsia reported from Singapore.

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