The Chinese Government is launching a nationwide campaign to computerize the country's State- owned enterprises (SOEs), Business Weekly reported.

The drive is being undertaken to sharpen the SOE's competitive edge in a fast-changing cyber era, according to the State Economic and Trade Commission.

The SETC recently began working with the Ministry of Information Industry and Ministry of Science and Technology to launch the computerization campaign.

It is the first time the government has promoted the use of computer know-how throughout all its SOEs.

"We expect the drive will help make the SOEs the most vigorous force in China's economy in the new century," said Shi Wanpeng, deputy minister in charge of the SETC.

He said computerization will focus on establishing information- sharing networks among the main SOEs and government administrations, improving the SOE's internal management and opening their own websites.

Only 0.3 percent of the top 300 SOEs' fixed-assets investment was used for computerization in 1998, according to a survey launched by the SETC.

The survey also indicated that the country's main 300 SOEs invested 1.71 billion yuan in computerization last year, increasing by 15.5 percent from 1998.

China's State-owned enterprises, suffering from an outmoded management style and heavy social-economic burdens, are expected to become profitable by the end of this year under a three-year State Council campaign.