After taking a major move in a series of reform and reorganization of the information industry, the Chinese government is now to further strengthen, not relax, the macroeconomic control and management over the industry.

At the beginning of the new year, Wu Jichuan, Minister of Information Industry, reemphasized that after the separation of government function from enterprises management, the government department will not cease managing the economic work, but rather it will change its concepts and methods of management, further strengthen readjustment of the industrial structure and the formulation of investment plan and export policy, and step up the enactment and publication of relevant statutes and regulations and other macro-control measures and management.

When talking about the current main tasks, Wu Jichuan stressed that the main responsibility of the government is to draw up an overall plan and map out the development strategy. The Information Industry Ministry is stepping up the making of 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) under the unified leadership of the central government. The basic plans include:

Under the unified plan and guidance of the government, the industry will introduce a competition system to spark the enthusiasm of various quarters and rationally allocate resources to avoid dupicate construction.

Focusing on meeting the need of informationization and coping with international competition, the industry will do a good job in the evolution of the existing network to the network of a new generation, and gradually establish a extra-large, highly flexible, safe and reliable broadband information network.

Strengthening technological innovation, speeding up structural readjustment and fostering some internationally competitive enterprise groups and key product R&D bases in micro-electronic, software, computer, telecom and other major fields.

Wu Jichuan said that as a pillar industry of China's national economy and a new mode of economic growth, China's information industry recorded a growth rate of over 20 percent in its business income last year. It is expected that the t pace of development will not be slow this year. In his opinion, as a level of governmental department, the Ministry of Information Industry is duty-bound to provide sure guarantee for the healthy development of the information industry, strengthening legal construction and doing administrative work according to law a part of the content.. Regulations on Telecommunication Management had been reported to the authority concerned for approval. The drafting work of the Telecommunication Law is being stepped up. Proceeding side by side is also the work of revising the Law of Post and the Detailed Rules for Its Implementation, and the Regulations on Radio Management, said Wu.

In order to meet the need of China's joining the WTO, China will carry out the main work of drafting the Regulations on the Management of Foreign-funded Telecommunication Service and the Regulations on the Management of Computer Network and Information Security.

Wu Chuanji also indicated that different levels and different forms of business competition should be gradually formed in the telecom field through macro-control and market supervision and a fair and effective market competitive pattern should be established.

The current key task is to perfect the market access system, strengthen the telecom licensing management, improve the coordinating and adjudication mechanism, establish fair and transparent interconnection and interlink rules, heighten the management on the examination and approval on access of the telecom equipment to the net and the management of number sources, crack down on illegal business of telecom operations, and set up reasonable charge systems, promote sources sharing and avoid redundant construction.

Meanwhile, China will tighten the supervision and inspection of the collection of fees, correct irregular price competition, resolutely investigate and prosecute the arbitrary charges and price rises, standardize market order, and safeguard State interest and the rights and interests of users. Wu disclosed that China is speeding up the construction of National Internet Swop Center. Beijing Interconnection Center will be completed in the first quarter of this year. More centers will be established in other areas.

When taking about standardizing the market order of electronic information products, Wu stated that related units are busily improving the market management regulations, correcting illegitimate competitive actions, and intensifying the anti-dumping, anti-monopoly, and anti-smuggle efforts..

Wu added that China's accession to the WTO presents both opportunities and challenges to the Chinese information industry. With firm confidence and steady and active advancement of reform, China's information industry will forge ahead without a hitch.

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