The Chinese government has recently removed 789 procedures from its list requiring administrative approval, in a move to reduce government intervention and improve efficiency.

Sources said 560 of the 789 procedures involved economic management affairs, 167 were related to matters of social management, and the remaining 62 concerned administrative management affairs and other matters.

The 56 central government departments and institutions, which were formerly in charge of scrutinizing and approving the 789 procedures, are studying follow-up steps to set up a regular administrative system, the sources said.

The government has urged all departments and localities across the country to build a proper administrative system that meets the requirement of its socialist market economy.

The decision is considered an important step forward in the government's program launched late last year to reform its administrative approval system.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2002)