Wu Yi Urges Legal, Efficient Customs Operations ����State Councilor Wu Yi on January 27 demanded that Chinese customs offices act according to law and become more efficient in their daily work to help boost trade this year. ����Chinese customs should strictly abide by laws and regulations, and take more vigorous actions to crack down on smuggling and maintain a sound trade order, she said at a national customs conference. ����She called for new and efficient means to cut clearance costs and to serve exporters. ����An outline for approving and opening new ports should be worked out as soon as possible in order to create a rational distribution of ports, she said. ����She urged customs offices to improve management, avoid repetition, and simplify inspection procedures. ����In addition, she praised customs offices for their work in anti-smuggling activities and tax collecting last year. She also asked the customs workers to consider the fight against smuggling a long-term task, and warned them against corruption. Economicnews 1999-01-28 Page2 Full Story in Chinese