This will lead to a correct guidance to the development of the information industry in various regions in the country and help reach the strategic target made by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to promote the national economy through the development of informatization.

Entrusted by concerned governmental departments, the National Informatization Evaluation Center has produced this report with the aim to help the public understand the National Informatization Index in line with the "Plan to Establish the National Index" issued by the Ministry of Information Industry. The report was based on the following research:

1. National Informatization Quotient of China In 2000 (NIQ) is 38.46, compared with 30.14 in 1999 and 25.89 in 1998.

Beijing boasts the highest NIQ. The index of 19 provinces and autonomous regions was higher than the country's average, and that of 12 was lower.

2. The average informatization index of China increased by an average 21.9 percent annually between 1998 and 2000, higher than China's GDP annual increase, which stayed at a 7-8 percent growth rate during the period.

The fast increase indicates that the development of informatization is playing an increasingly important role in China's economy.

3. Detailed analysis on China's Informatization Index of 2000:

Among all indices, the index for the application of information technology was the highest, which hit 65.89.

The result showed the application of information technology and the Internet is developing rapidly in China and has contributed a great deal to the economic structural adjustment and the renovation of traditional industry.

The information industry is becoming an economic pillar in China.

Among various indices, the index for information products and services is 53.78, which shows that China's information industry has witnessed rapid progress, improved its industrial structure and become a major support for the national economy. The result proved that the strategy to promote industrialization through informatization is correct.

The development and application of information resources have made great progress.

The index for the development and application of information resources is 45.29. It shows, with the rapid development of the Internet technology, China's information resources have witnessed a great increase.

However, the result also shows that the development of information resources is still at a low level in China. Repeated construction, in this aspect, is also a problem which must be solved.

Information network construction has rapidly developed. However, the problem of repeated construction was, once again, put forward in the report.

The information network construction index of 2000 is 37.12, the highest among the growth of all other factors. The evaluation result showed the development speed of various aspects of the information industry is in strong contrast.

The telecommunications sector has experienced the fastest development in recent years.

The development of the mobile phone and fixed phone networks rank number one and number two respectively in the world.

China's production capacity of systematic switchboards and mobile telecommunications, optical telecommunications and network equipment has been greatly improved, and China has become a major producer of some telecommunication equipment in the world.

However, problems exist in this area, such as low-level repeated construction of network projects, a lack of capacity to share network resources and low-efficient operations.

Repeated network and system construction must be stopped according to the principle of co-sharing resources and inter-connection.

The environment for informatization development needs improving:

According to the report, the index to show the environment for the informatization development is 21.86, lower than most other indices made in the evaluation, which shows that the environment for the informatization development needs great improvement.

The government's leading role will be an effective approach to improve this index. The central government should take the lead in using more information technology in its work. Efficient planning, standard laws and regulations and security guarantee for the development of the information industry must be strengthened.

Lack of informatization human resources is a key factor which has restrained informatization development.

The index of human resources in the information technology area is 13.43, the lowest among all other indices.

Lack of personnel specialized in the information technology has hampered informatization development.

To strengthen professional training and increase awareness of IT knowledge is important in the overall development of informatization. Training should start at school.

4. Comparison among the speed of development of the national informatization sub-indices in 2000:

Among various factors of China's Informatization Index, the most important one is network construction and information technology application.

The sub-indices with lower development speed are the indices for the environment for the informatization development and for informatization human resources, which show the development of human resources for the information technology could not meet the demand for the construction of information technology and the Information Network.

Human resources development should be greatly emphasized in the process of China's information industry development.

(The story is based on a report provided by the National Informatization Evaluation Center.)

(China Daily May 8, 2002)