China to Accelerate Industrial Restructuring: Top Planner

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 06, 2002

China to Accelerate Industrial Restructuring: Top Planner

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China will take quicker moves to upgrade the industrial structure so as to improve the overall quality of industry, Zeng Peiyan, minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission, said here Wednesday.

Zeng made the remark in his Report on the Implementation of the 2001 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the Draft 2002 Plan for National Economic and Social Development, to the second plenary meeting of the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC).

Strong efforts will be made to integrate information technology into the national economy and society. E-government will be introduced. Development of shared databases will be accelerated, Zeng said.

"We will continue to accelerate application of high-tech advances to production," he said, adding that this will require the organization and implementation of major special projects to apply to production such high-tech achievements as new types of electronic parts and devices, integrated circuits, software, optoelectronic devices, new materials, satellite technology and modern practices of traditional Chinese medicine.

A comprehensive set of standards will be formulated for digital TV as soon as possible. High-tech projects will be launched in key areas to develop the next generation of high-speed broadband information networks, third-generation digital mobile communication systems, new feeder aircraft, a biotechnology industry, satellite systems for direct transmission of radio and TV programs and modern agriculture. Also to be launched are key scientific research projects.

No effort will be spared to develop the domestic capacity to manufacture key equipment, Zeng Peiyan said. The capacity to design and manufacture all parts of key equipment will be strengthened by carrying out major projects and importing key technologies, while striving to make independent technological innovations.

The main focus of these efforts will be development of gas turbines, ultra-high voltage direct-current power transmission equipment, 600-megawatt supercritical power generators, entire large-scale petrochemical facilities, large-capacity ships and related equipment, large-scale construction equipment and key parts and components for numerically controlled machine tools.

"We will work hard to reorganize and upgrade traditional industries. Guided by market demand, key industries and enterprises will be upgraded with high and new technologies and advanced applicable technologies to make manufacturing more concentrated and enhance product development capacity," Zeng said.

Completion of major projects that would help upgrade relevant industries will be accelerated, including projects to develop liquefied natural gas, produce ethylene on a large scale and develop phosphate and potash fertilizers and highly effective, low- toxicity insecticides. Preparatory work and actual construction of the projects to develop ethanol fuel and coal liquids will be accelerated. Large-scale, new dry-process cement production lines will be built to raise the proportion of new building materials used in China.

Strong efforts will be made to develop high added value products such as differentiated and functional fibers, focusing on improvement of the printing, dyeing and other finishing processes of textiles, the official said.

Special demonstration projects will be set up for the intensive processing of agricultural and sideline products, with the food industry taking the lead. Development of tree groves to produce raw materials for paper mills will be accelerated, and integration of papermaking with afforestation efforts will be promoted.

"We will continue to reduce through economic and legal means surplus production capacity and production facilities that turn out inferior products, waste resources, cause too much environmental pollution and do not have proper safety equipment," the top planner said.

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