The National Conference of Defense Industry, organized by the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, was held in Beijing on January 26.

In a letter to this conference, Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo has urged the defense industry to make all efforts to develop high-tech military weapons and equipment in the new year while improving its economic efficiency.

Wu said that all defense enterprises must deepen reforms and strengthen management to respond to market changes.

Wu said that 2000 is a crucial year for restructuring the industry and making it profitable.

In 1999, China's defense industry carried out a major reform in its management system by reorganizing its five corporations into ten enterprise groups, successfully launched new-type strategic missiles and the country's first spaceship, and put more satellites into orbit.

The industry has laid a sound foundation for its development in the new century, Wu said.

Wu also sent a letter to a recent national conference on the information industry, calling for aggressive reform and better management practices.

Last year, the telecommunications sector saw its revenue increase by 24.6 percent to 280.3 billion yuan. Sales of the electronic and information product-manufacturing sector rose by 27.7 percent to 430 billion yuan.