Local governments in China do not have enough technocrats to handle issues of information technologies and systems though the country reports the world's second largest number of Internet surfers, an information official said.

Hu Xiaoming, director of the State Information Center, told a seminar on e-government that ended Wednesday in Shanghai that Chinese governments at local levels need a number of talents with professional knowledge and strategic vision to promote its development of e-government.

Those officials with an IT and governmental working experience background, especially those Chief Information Officers (CIOs), are in great need among Chinese governments at all levels, said Hu, also executive president of the China Information Industry Association.

He said Chinese governments are facing a great challenge to behave according to international practice after China's accession to the World Trade Organization.

"We need efficient e-governments to better communicate with the international communities and those CIOs are an important part of this process," Hu said.

The number of Internet users, or netizens, on the Chinese mainland reached 79.5 million by the end of 2003, according to the statistics of the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

Computers linked to the Internet had totaled 30.89 million by the end of 2003, up 48.3 percent, according to CNNIC.

Hu said China's e-governments should provide better public services to help shape a government image of transparency and high-efficiency in the future.

Sponsored by the China Information Industry Association, the seminar featured three days of discussion on e-government's public services, integration and the development of e-government in China's underdeveloped areas.