"The upcoming launch of the portal is designed to allow the public easy and quick access to a vast range of central and local government information and services," said Qin Hai, deputy director-general of the Department of Policy and Planning under the State Council Information Office.

He said the website will bring government information and services together in the one place.

"Many experts and staff are currently engaged in combining various government information services and resources, ranging from what you need to know if you're having a child or renting a house, to information about study, work or recreation in China," said Qin.

He said more Chinese people are becoming Internet-savvy and have been quick to adopt new ways of communicating both in business and in their daily lives.

By the end of last year, China had over 59 million Internet users who stayed online for one hour or more every day. The number was only 4.6 percent of China's population of 1.3 billion, but it was the second largest in the world, after the United States.

All around the world, e-government is revolutionizing the concept of how government works and the quality of the services it delivers. The Internet has changed the way organizations, communities and individuals learn, work and interact, said Qin.

"Our government is meeting new rising demand for online services," he said.

The central government has been planning the new portal since last August but its e-government vision dates back to the 1980s.

Qin said the e-government initiative would promote democracy by providing residents with more digital connections, such as e-mail, and simplifying election procedures by, for example, allowing voting online. Government services could also be delivered online, without time or space restrictions.

"What's more, they can make administrative work more transparent and efficient by networking government departments and introducing intranets and so on," said Qin.

In addition, the strategy could boost the e-economy, especially government-to-business, government-to-business-to-customer and government-to-customer relations, by networking government agencies with non-governmental organizations and individuals.

Qin said the Chinese Government had shown great enthusiasm for information technology as part of the country's modernization drive.

But the Internet was introduced to China much later than to other industrial nations. Even in the early 1990s the "Internet" was still an alien word to the public.

From the mid to late 1990s, China poured huge amounts of resources into building a modern telecommunications network.

The first step towards Chinese e-government was made in December 1993 when the State Council formed a high-level leading group, known as the Joint Committee of National Economic Information. Its major goal is to build a national information highway as a path to modernization and economic development and to promote the seven "Golden Projects."

For example, the "Golden Customs" project launched in June 1993 aimed to create an integrated data communications system connecting foreign trade companies, banks, customs and tax authorities. It was to speed up customs clearance and strengthen the authorities' ability to collect tax and duty payments.

In 1999, the central government launched a government online project and now most ministerial departments of central and provincial governments have also gone online. To advance the project, 1999 was declared the year of "Government Online."

After launching the "Government Online" project, the Chinese authorities embarked on a plan to encourage the use of computers and digital technology in enterprises and households. Since 2001, it has backed projects known as "Enterprises Online" (www.sinoeol.com) and "Households Online" (www.sinohome.com).

The central government also set ambitious goals for Internet usage and information technology development in the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05). By the end of the five years, China should have a modern broadband network combined with Internet, telephone line, and cable TV networks. The number of Internet users will reach 150 million or more than 11 percent of the population.

(China Daily February 28, 2003)