Ma Jiantang, vice-governor of Qinghai province, has been appointed head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the State Council announced Monday.

A native of Shandong, the 50-year-old succeeds Xie Fuzhan as the country's top statistician.

Ma began his government career in 1988 after earning a doctorate at the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His first post was with the development research center of the State Council.

In 1996, Ma moved to the State Economic and Trade Commission, which was the forerunner to the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning body.

In 2003, he was appointed deputy secretary of the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, which oversees State-owned companies.

Analysts have said the role of the statistics bureau is becoming increasingly important, as its figures are essential for the government in mapping out macroeconomic policies.

Meanwhile, the government has set an array of targets for social and economic development during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10), and the NBS will be central to their achievement.

Last month, the bureau added a new department for energy statistics, which monitors energy and resource consumption across the nation.

The creation of the department echoed the government's aim to reduce energy intensity by 20 percent between 2005 and 2010, as it tries to reduce energy use and increase efficiency.

In June, the NBS released its energy intensity figures for last year for all provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, seven of which failed to reach their targets.

Wang Xiaolu, deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute under the China Reform Foundation, said: "The figures for the services industries still need to improve.

"Authorities may need to change some items within the category, as many new careers have been created in the sector, which might not be covered by the old statistical method."

As well as the department for energy statistics, the bureau has added another for the services industries, according to the agency's website.

In 2005, the NBS upgraded its GDP estimate for 2004 by 16.8 percent after input from a nationwide economic census. The bureau said 2.3 trillion yuan ($336.7 billion) had been added to the figure, of which 2.1 trillion yuan, 93 percent, had come from the service industry.

Xie Fuzhan will retain the position he has held since June as director of the Research Office of the State Council, the country's leading think tank, which drafts annual government work reports and other documents for the Cabinet and the Central Committee of Party.

The office also provides economic advice for the State Council.

(China Daily September 23, 2008)