Answering a question from a Xinhua reporter, Jiang said China has since its reform and opening up restructured government agencies on four occasions, trying to gear up with the development of the socialist market economy. But the current administrative system still leaves much to be desired with the deepening of the reform of the economic system and China's accession to the WTO and that dictates another restructuring of government agencies in order to keep up with the development of the times.

The goal of the scheduled restructuring is to establish a clean and efficient administrative system with standardized behaviors and well-coordinated, fair and transparent operations, Jiang said.

The new round of restructuring will start out with the agencies of the central government before spreading to local governments, Jiang said.

The plans for the restructuring of central government agencies will be submitted to the first session of the 10th NPC scheduled to open Wednesday.

Jiang disclosed that experiments in the reform of the administrative system are being carried out in Shenzhen and four other cities aimed at shaping up a public administration system as required by the socialist market system. The principle for the experiments is simplicity, unity and efficiency, with harmonious operations of policy decision making, execution and supervision. The reform does not involve reform of local people's congresses, people's courts and people's procuratorates, Jiang noted.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2003)