High quality entries in the China International Press Photo Contest (CHIPP) have made the contest a truly international event.

The CHIPP judging panel made this remark Tuesday after two days' hectic evaluation and selection from more than 23,000 works from 76 nations.

"I think the quality of entries for the CHIPP is very high, and the competition is very fierce," said Mary Anne Golon, picture editor of Time magazine.

"There have been several different entries in the Daily Life category, which are really much stronger works," said Golon.

Golan believes entries for the CHIPP are similar to Pulitzer Photography Prize entries.

Golon also noticed many photographers made some mistakes when entering their works for the CHIPP.

"They entered a series, but didn't enter in the single category, and there are better works in the series entries than in the single category and I think the photographers should have entered in both," she said.

Golon said she was impressed with the total number of entries for the first year of CHIPP, but she believed the number would definitely grow in the coming years with an increasing number of photographers from all over the world showing an interest in joining the annual event.

Vincent Mentzel, a member of the World Press Photo awards from the Netherlands, believes some entries are extremely excellent, having reached the level of the World Press Photo awards.

Prashant Panjiar, a renowned independent photographer from India, also said entries for the CHIPP were high quality, having truly reached international standards.

"The high quality of entries for the CHIPP has make the press photo contest a really international event," said Panjiar.

"There is really one difference between the World Press Photo awards and CHIPP, and that is the World Press Photo is 50 years old and the CHIPP is one year old," said Panjiar.

"After two or three more years, I think the CHIPP will achieve the same quality and reputation as the World Press Photo awards," he said.

The fourteen prize winning works in seven categories, along with the top award for the Best Press Photo of 2004, will be announced Thursday.

Editor: Catherine