China's revenue hit a record high of over one trillion in 1999, up 15 percent from 1998, Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng said in Beijing on January 26.

The revenue in 1999 accounted for 12.4 percent of the gross domestic product, he told a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council this morning.

. Xiang also said that China will reform its central budget compilation method. The central budget would be ready before the meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC), or three months earlier than before.

Under the new method, the budget would be compiled on department basis, so that the NPC would have an idea of how much each government department is spending, he said.

As an experiment, the ministries of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Education, Labor and Social Security would have their own budgets starting this year, the minister said.

As to China's budget deficit, Xiang said it would be controlled within the figure in the readjusted budget plan approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, Xiang said.

Though the final figures are still being worked on, a fiscal surplus is expected for local governments. The final result of the budget implementation would be publicized in March, he told the press conference.

Xiang promised The Chinese government would strive to cut its budget deficit in 2000, or to control the deficit at the same level of 1999,..