China needs to improve special steel sector, expert

China needs to improve its special steel sector since it still imports most of high-tech special steel to make vehicles, ships and machines, said Wu Xichun, former chairman of China Iron and Steel Association Friday.

Addressing a forum on machinery manufacturing, Wu said that in the past 30 years, the special steel sectors in foreign countries have become more and more integrated and specialized. While in China, steel industries tend to produce too many kinds of steel, and are not good at specialization.

Special steel is mainly used in automobile and machinery industry, accounting for 35 percent and 24 percent of the total steel consumption in an industrialized country.

In 2004, the special steel that China produced accounted for eight to ten percent of the total steel production.

Wu said that as China's machinery , automobile and shipbuilding industries develop, China will need more and more special steel.