Exchange and Cooperation to Seek Development
                   By Chen Shibin
-   Interview with Guo Youzhi, Secretary of China Membrane
Industry Association
1998 Beijing International Membrane Separation Technology &
Equipment Fair held  in  Beijing  in  June  8  -   11  has
attracted  more  than  300  membrane  scientists  from  25
countries and over 40  membrane  factories  and  companies
from 7 countries in the world. They have not only  brought
with them information and papers in the most sophisticated
membrane science and technology, but  also  displayed  the
most advanced  water  treatment  equipment  developed  and
manufactured with membrane technology.
The membrane industry fair is the  first  of  the  kind  in
China and also in the world and has therefore  produced  a
great influence both at home and abroad.
Mr. Guo  Youzhi,   Secretary  of  China  Membrane  Industry
Association, one of the main sponsors of  the  fair,   has
recently interviewed CCR reporter.
Q: So far as I know, the applica-
        tion fields of membrane  technology  are  extremely
extensive. In the past membrane producers usually attended
fairs of application fields to promote the sales of  their
products. Why do you organize the  international  fair  of
the membrane industry itself? And how about the results of
the fair?
A: Since the birth of the world's
        first polymeric reverse osmose  membrane  developed
by Americans  and  Canadians,   the  application  of  this
technology  has  become  a  competition  target  for  many
companies. Membrane research in  China  started  in  1958.
There is still a  considerable  gap  today  compared  with
advanced foreign countries. Domestic and foreign  membrane
enterprises all hope to have a chance to get together  and
conduct exchange of views to seek joint development.   The
International Membrane Science & Technology Conference was
also held during the fair. All participants have benefited
a lot from the fair through exchange of views.
Q: Could you give our readers
        a brief introduction  of  the  present  status  and
development prospects of the membrane industry in China?  
A: I would like to. The first com-
        mercial reverse osmose  unit  with  a  desalination
capacity of 10  t/a  brackish  water  was  constructed  in
Lanzhou in 1975. China has now developed a large group  of
  industrial  membrane  products  with  practical   value,
   including   those   of   dialysis,     electrodialysis,
microfiltration, reverse osmose, gas separation and osmose
gasification. An output value of 300 million yuan has been
formed in  the  membrane  industry.   Enterprises  with  a
membrane output value exceeding 10  million  yuan  include
Liaoning No. 8271 Factory, Hangzhou Water Treatment Center
,   Beijing  Shunyi  Water  Treatment  Equipment  Factory,
  Guangdong  Shunde  Electrodialysis  Factory  and   Dalian
Chemical & Physical Institute of the  Chinese  Academy  of
Sciences. Except No. 8271 Factory, technologies adopted in
other enterprises are either transferred from the research
achievements of domestic research units or developed  from
their own research achievements. The membrane industry  in
China has the features of great  producer  number,   small
production scale, low technical level and low product grade.
Great quantities of membrane equipment and  raw  materials
have been purchased from abroad in the recent years.   The
annual import volume is estimated to be around  1  billion
  yuan.   Major  importers  include  large  enterprises  of
electronics, power,  pharmaceuticals,   chemicals,   food,
printing and dyeing, textiles and medical protection.   In
such a context, many foreign enterprises including Du Pont
, Dow Chemical, Asahi Chemical, Nitto Denko,  UOP,   Memtec
  and  Linde  have  set  up  joint  venture  companies   or
representative offices in China.
  To seek development in  competition,   some  of  domestic
enterprises have conducted merging and  regrouping.   Most
noticeable are the merging of Liaoning No. 8271 Factory by
Jinxi Chemical Industrial Group  and  the  integration  of
Beijing Green Yuanquan Co., Ltd. with Guangxi Yuchai Group.
  The development of the membrane industry  in  China  will
have bright prospects. The competition has therefore  also
become fiercer. Undue  competition  has  already  produced
evil consequences in some aspects. For example, one or two
production lines of reverse osmose membrane are enough  in
China. However, as many as 6 production lines  ( including
imported ones) have  already  been  constructed  or  under
construction. We have therefore warned  relevant  domestic
enterprises.
Q: China Membrane Industry
        Association is a young association. Could  you  say
something about it?
A: China Membrane Industry
        Association was  registered  in  October  1995  and
established in January 1996. It was jointly  organized  by
the former Ministry of  Chemical  Industry,   the  Chinese
Academy of Sciences and the State Marine Bureau. There are
162 members. Since its establishment, the