Leading media company, Nasdaq-listed Global Sources (NASDAQ:GSOL) has recently signed a partnership agreement with Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone to hold International IC-China Conference & Exhibition ("IIC-China") at Chengdu Century City New International Convention from Feb 28-29, 2008. This is the first IIC-China in West China.

IIC-China, China's largest IC and semiconductor design event, is highly-rated by the electronics industry and has been successful held in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen over the last 12 years. Mark A. Saunderson, president of Global Sources' Electronics Business Unit, said the inaugural exhibition in West China has a special meaning: The electronics industry in West China is booming and Chengdu in particularly has established itself as one of the most important IC design hubs in China. That makes Chengdu an ideal location to be our first-stop to explore and expand our presence in West China.

It is also revealed that the event to be held in this year will have more than 400 leading high-tech suppliers showcasing their latest IC designs and technologies. There will be over 1,300 booths, a growth of 30% compared to 2007. The exhibition has so far attracted eight of the world's top ten semiconductor companies, including Intel, Freescale, Samsung, Toshiba, Texas Instruments, as well as other big-name companies like NEC, MIPS, ON Semiconductor and Maxim to exhibit.

Following the Chengdu exhibition, IIC-China will go to Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai.