The drafting and promulgation of State laws and regulations concerning the use of industrial waste should be speeded up and demonstration projects be established to further promote the development of the sector.

The remarks were made by Zhang Zhigang, vice-minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission, at a recent Beijing meeting of the China Association of the Comprehensive Utilization of Resources.

Zhang pointed out that although the country has achieved great progress in the comprehensive use of resources, a big gap still exists as compared with developed countries and therefore much work is to be done to boost the sector.

One major issue is the drafting and promulgation of a State law on recycling and full use of resources and regulations on the comprehensive use of metal tailings as well as the recycling of disused household electric appliances and computers.

At the same time, model projects on the use of resources should be set up to accumulate experience, and publicity and training campaigns be promoted to foster the sense of environmental protection among the public, he said.

To limit the waste of scarce resources is a long-term strategic policy and also an important economic policy of the country, the vice-minister stressed.

He praised the association for its efforts in the promotion of the efficient use of resources since its establishment in 1995.

Between 1996 and 2000, the sector realized a total production value of 124.7 billion yuan??US$15.07 billion??

, with an average annual growth rate of 16.4 per cent.

During the same period, the country increased the ratio of industrial residue utilization to 52 per cent from the previous level of 43 per cent and an annual total of 355 million tons of industrial waste was recycled and used.

Industrial residue mainly includes gangue, coal ash, smeltery slag, waste slag from the chemical industry and distillery dregs.

Liu Hanjie, vice-president of the association, outlined the key tasks of his association in the coming few years.

They include finding the problems that hinder the development of the efficient use of resources and working out solutions to deal with them, spreading the use of new products and technology, promoting co-operation and exchange among enterprises and research organizations, and launching training programmes.

Moreover, it is essential to enhance international co-operation in order to gain experience from foreign experts and introduce advanced technology and equipment to modernize the sector, Liu added.

(Xinhua News Agency 10/08/2001)