The chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee made the comment Wednesday while joining in separate group discussions of NPC deputies from Fujian and Hebei provinces on the government's draft outline of the 10th five-year plan.

He told the lawmakers from Fujian that in developing the high- tech sector and upgrading the economic structure by information technology, priorities should be given to the development of technologies that will add to China's own intellectual property.

At the same time, he said, labor-intensive industries of good market potentials should not be ignored, because China has a big population of skilled workers, who can produce cheap and quality products.

He urged officials at all levels of governments in the province to take lessons from past corruption cases, adding that it is important to strengthen the education of officials and prevent corruption through legislation and the enforcement of market order.

Speaking to the Hebei deputies, Li said information and other high technologies should not be used to upgrade traditional industries only, but also applied to government bodies and financial and transportation sectors to improve their efficiency.

On the water shortage of the province, the top legislator urged the province to use more water-saving techniques in agriculture, industry and people's daily life before the South-North Water Diversion Project is completed many years from now.

(People’s Daily 03/08/2001)