China's top legislator Wu Bangguo has called for nationwide efforts to increase innovation, step up industrial restructuring, reform the model of economic growth and adopt scientific methods of economic and social development.

During an inspection tour of Guangdong Province, south China, between Thursday and Sunday, Wu visited some high-tech companies and farmers' homes, and attended the Asia Europe Meeting Prosecutors-General Conference held in Shenzhen.

Wu said the central authorities have set the overall goals for economic and social development and made clear the major tasks for next year's economic development.

"We should take it as a major strategy to change our mode of economic growth and put economic development and social progress onto the track of scientific development as early as possible," he said.

He stressed the importance of strengthening innovation in an all-round way, improving mechanisms for innovations, encouraging invention for patents, creating name brands, and stepping up the effort to turn research achievements into productivity, so as to give a bigger role to science and technology in economic growth.

The government will study financial, taxation and government procurement policies to support innovations, said Wu, chairman of the National Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

While speeding up industrial restructuring, efforts will be intensified to promote technological transformation featuring energy conservation and consumption reduction, so as to build a resources-saving and environment-friendly society.

Wu also emphasized the importance to the training and promotion of talented professionals, saying "we must firmly establish the mentality that human resources are the primary resources."

During his talks with farmers and grass-roots rural leaders, Wu said building a socialist new countryside, a goal set by the Party Central Committee, is an important and long-term historical task.

He urged governments at all levels to implement to the letter all policies to support agriculture, rural economic development and farmers.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2005)