China will continue to place importance on both development and saving of resources and attach priority to efficiency so as to achieve the greatest possible economic and social returns with the least possible consumption of resources, Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan said.

Zeng made the remark at the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum on Building Resource-Efficient Society on Saturday. The two-day forum held in Beijing attracted more than 200 attendants, including Chinese government officials, parliamentarians, representatives from international organizations and distinguished guests from both China and abroad. The forum is jointly sponsored by the State Development and Reform Commission and Development Research Center under the State Council of China. It concluded on June 26.

Zeng said building a resources-efficient society is a major step that China takes to remold its development pattern, adding that relevant measures will be written into the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), the governmental guidelines for economic and social development for the interim period.

Zeng said in the first two decades of this century, China will pursue a route of new-style industrialization that features lower consumption of resources and minimized pollution of the environment.

The Chinese government has just issued two decrees on the current priorities of building a resources-efficient society and on accelerating the development of a resources-recycling economy, Zeng said.

Though China had managed to improve resources efficiency, measured by energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan worth of gross domestic product (GDP), much faster than the world average in the last 20 years of last century, Zeng said, China is still faced with a shortage of resources. Since it has a large base of population (1.3 billion), the average amount of resources that every Chinese citizen owns is much less than the global level, he added.

Zeng said the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization poses an imperative demand for the Chinese people tosave resources and find efficient ways to utilize and recycle resources.

Zeng emphasized that China will exercise economy of resources throughout all aspects of economic activities, including production, construction, logistic circulation and consumption. In order to develop high efficiency of resources utilization, Zeng said China is to do the following things:

China will strengthen industrial restructuring by developing service and high-tech sectors, accelerating renovation of traditional industries and setting a timetable for phasing out outdated techniques, equipment and products.

China will tighten control of market access to prevent highly resources-consuming and polluting projects from being built. In addition, China will encourage the development of construction projects that save land and energy.

China will also strive to reduce loss of resources in the process of transportation. It will curb wasteful practice in the logistic and distribution area, while adopting stricter measures to limit the export of products that may consume excessive resources or incur serious pollution.

China will promote consumption styles that go in line with resources efficiency. The government will set an example in this respect by saving resources in public utilities and governmental activities.

China will accelerate the development of resources-recycling economy, actively push forward clean production, further strengthen pollution control and develop an economic system that is resources-efficient and environmentally friendly.

Zeng said the priorities of building a resources-efficient society are saving energy, water, raw materials and land and comprehensive use of resources. China will carry out a number of major energy saving projects to strengthen energy management and improve efficiency of energy and resources use.

He said the key for building a resources-efficient society lies in scientific and technological advance. China will meet its practical needs by developing a great number of key technologies to improve resources efficiency.

He noted that renovation of administrative system provides guarantee for the development of resources-efficient society. China will let market to play an even bigger role in resources distribution and develop incentive and control systems for improving efficiency.

Zeng said public participation is the basis for building a resources-efficient society. China will enhance publicity and education in this respect and carry out various activities of resources saving. The move is aimed to improve the people's awareness of resources efficiency and encourage public initiatives of saving resources.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2005)