This was predicted by Xu Kuangdi, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), at a recent local symposium in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

China is now on the way to industrialization and modernization, Xu said, noting that China has set up a basically independent industrial system, but in the majority of engineering science and technology fields, the country still lags far behind the advanced level in the world.

He said that China should put most of its scientific and technological resources into engineering science and technology fields, in order to realize its industrialization in the coming 20-30 years.

Xu, the former mayor of Shanghai, the largest metropolis in China, called for greater efforts to strengthen studies of basic sciences.

After decades of efforts in industrialization, China has become a leading industrial producer in the world, according to the academician. In as early as 1999, China had ranked among the leaders of the world in the outputs of steel, cement, coal, chemical fertilizer, and television set.

Planning Urged for Satellite Towns

Aiming to solve the increasing problems caused by urbanization, experts used a national workshop at the weekend to call for China's large cities to put more effort into developing satellite towns and to use new ideas to reach the goal.

"Diversified programs to develop satellite towns are necessary," said Ren Xingzhou, deputy director of the Market Economy Research Department at the State Council's Development Research Center, at the workshop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

"Our country is undergoing an urban explosion, which has thus resulted in many satellite towns beside big cities. Almost all of them were developed by local governments.

"However, due to the limited functions of the governments with their limited efforts and funds, most satellite towns have not yet come into full play."

Although most satellite towns have largely reduced the urban population, their levels of development still compares poorly with urban areas.

The lack of fast and convenient public transport systems, poor education centers and unsatisfactory medical, water and sewage-treatment facilities in some satellite towns have forced many people back into big cities.

"We suggest the introduction of more non-government capital into satellite town development, as well as the urbanization of the cities," said Dong Furen, a renowned Chinese economist.

"The private sector should be guided to take part in activities, such as building roads, bridges, establishing schools, medical centers and other infrastructure.

"They can even be invited to scheme the whole plan of a satellite town."

Experts also vowed to move some industries to satellite towns, such as the service, food, machinery, electronic, building material and tourism sectors, so a considerable number of residents do no need to travel between the satellite towns and large cities every day, greatly reducing heavy transport.

"A complete service system should be set up, including businesses, education, entertainment, telecommunications and so on," Ren said.

(People's Daily October 28, 2002)