South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will make greater efforts to build more high-tech development zones in the future. In the years to come, high and new technologies, as well as the industries based on them should play a more important role in advancing Guangxi's regional economic development, said Li Zhaozhuo, chairman of the regional government, in his address to are cent regional meeting on high technology.

He urged relevant departments at all levels to turn high-tech development zones into a new and important economic powerhouse, and give greater priority to industrial planning in the zones, attract more high-tech businesses by introducing more foreign investment, and cultivate a good environment to attract qualified professionals.

Guangxi has created three high-tech such zones in Nanning, Liuzhou, and Guilin, where 1,300 firms are now operating with 50,000 employees. Among these firms, 240 are high-tech ventures with 30,000 employees, and are capable of producing 500 kinds of high-tech commodities.