Wang Chunzheng, deputy director of the commission, said five aspects are key to industrialization in China - technology involvement, economic efficiency, energy consumption, the environment and human resources.

"The five fields include the most difficult points in China's process of industrialization," Wang said.

The speeding-up of industrialization and urbanization have been two sticking points affecting China's development pace.

Chinese-style industrialization, which entails the transfer of surplus rural labor to non-agricultural sectors, is also key to the creation of an all-round well-off society, the country's primary goal set by the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Wang said industrialization is a demanding job for China where farmers constitute more than 50 per cent of the workforce.

"To advance to industrialization, a higher contribution by technology will be encouraged," Wang said.

Vigorous efforts are expected to develop high and new-tech industries and use information technology to propel and accelerate industrialization, Wang said.

As China is in its middle stage of industrialization, it is time for the country to improve its economic efficiency, Wang said.

"At the initial stage, we cared about the numbers of economic development, now the quality should speak louder," he added.

Another important element for China's industrialization lies in a smaller consumption of energy, Wang pointed out.

China has a large amount of energy resources in total but it is still relatively small by a per capita basis.

"It is impossible for its process of industrialization to develop in a sustainable way and reach the end if we fail to use energy in a careful way," Wang said.

Low environmental pollution is also mentioned by Wang, who asked the local governments not to pollute it and then tackle it.

Wang also urged for a full use of human resources in speeding up China's industrialization.

"Improving productivity while creating more jobs is a balancing act we must handle correctly," the official said.

Wang said the newly established commission, which merged the former State Development Planning Commission and related departments from other administrations, will step up its transformation of functions.

"We will stipulate more policies to facilitate investment and financing, and reduce unnecessary administration on approval and examination," Wang said.

(China Daily March 24, 2003)