China's service industry, viewed as a gauge of market modernization, caught the world's attention during the Ninth Five-Year Period (1996-2000).
The added value of the service industry increased 8.1 percent annually during the period, according to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics.
The service industry played a vital role in optimizing the structure of industries. In 2000, it contributed 28 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rising 5 percentage compared with 1995.
In recent years, the service industry produced job opportunities for 81 percent of the laid-off workers in the agriculture and industry sectors. It helped to alleviate the pressure of unemployment and contribute to social stability.
As China develops its market economy, remarkable changes have been seen in the structure of the service industry. Traditional sectors such as wholesale, retail, food and beverage maintained steady growth, while new professions including securities, real estate, information, tourism and consulting services are gathering pace.
As the trend of globalization developed, the information industry in China leaped forward in the years between 1996 to 2000. The telecom networks saw historical changes, going from manual to automatic systems and from single to multiple functions.
By the end of 2000, the total length of fiber-optic cable in use in the country surpassed one million kilometers, with over 37, 000 broadband networks. There are over 215 million telephone users and 22.5 million Internet users.
During the period, the Chinese government pursued its strategy of stimulating consumerism and increasing investment in the infrastructure, particularly railways, highways and airports.
In a time when Chinese have greater cash flow and more leisure time, tourism has entered a golden season. China aims to become an international tourist destination. During the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, a yearly average of 727 million foreigners traveled in China.
The newly implemented seven-day holidays for the Chinese lunar New Year, May Day and National Day have facilitated travels. In 1999, China had 7,326 travel agencies, twice the number of 1995.
(Xinhua 03/10/2001)
