Vice premier calls for 'solid' national geographic census

BEIJING, Aug. 19 -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Monday called for a "solid" national census of geographic conditions to better serve the country's sustainable economic and social development.

Zhang made the comments at a teleconference of the country's first-ever national geographic census in Beijing, adding that the three-year census is aimed at revealing interactional relations among resource, ecology, population, economy and society.

The census will also help grasp the development potential of resources and the environment in an accurate and scientific manner, so as to prevent various risks and challenges, said Zhang, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Data collected in the census should be comprehensive and accurate, said Zhang, who is also head of the census team.

Latest figures collected in the census should be used in the country's geographical condition monitoring in a timely fashion, Zhang added.

The State Council, or China's Cabinet, issued a circular in March stating that the census will target natural and cultural elements within China's land territory.

It added that information on land features, vegetation, waters, deserts, bare areas, as well as transport grids, residential areas and facilities will also be collected.