Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged quickening the expansion of information technology to promote China's social and economic development at a meeting held here Wednesday, sources with the central government said Friday.

"Vigorously pushing forward economic and social information is a major strategic step in China's modernization," Wen said at the fourth meeting of the National Leading Group on Informatization. Wen is head of the group.

China aims to pursue a new-type of industrialization featuring extensive use of advanced information technology.

The meeting arranged the work of China's informatization for the coming period, which falls into the following areas:

-- stepping up the development and utilization of information resources;

-- concretely pushing forward e-government and reform the government's administrative system;

-- guiding and promoting e-commerce. The government shall issue policies and play a supervisory role to create a sound external environment for the development of e-commerce;

-- strengthening information security work. Efforts to improve the information monitoring and security guarantee system must be accelerated;

-- carrying out in-depth research on the strategy and planning of informatization.

Participants also discussed documents on stepping up the development and utilization of information resources and accelerating the development of e-commerce in China.

Deputy heads of the group, including Chinese Vice-Premier Huang Ju, attended the meeting.

Source: Xinhua