China Improving Spring Cropping 　　Statistics show that China's planting acreage for spring rice crops this year was 7.651 million ha., 162,000 ha. less than that of last year. 　　The sowing acreage for spring wheat was 3.33 million ha., a decrease of 352,000 ha. from last year and a record low. Spring cotton took up 542,000 ha. less than for last spring, at 3.466 million ha. 　　This spring, China also reduced the amount of land used for tobacco, sugar, and jute during the spring season, and increased the amount in corn, sorghum, millet and beans. Economicnews 1999-07-13 Page2 Full Story in Chinese