Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao presided over an executive meeting of the State Council Wednesday, which passed in principle a resolution on the issue of energy saving and approved punitive measures in handling a major fake drug case and a deadly coal mine explosion.

The resolution, entitled "State Council Resolution on Stepping up the Work of Energy Saving", highlights the importance of saving energy for China, a country with the world's largest population and with a shortage in energy resources.

The meeting called for redoubled efforts to build up an energy-efficient industrial system, do a good job in major energy-consuming industries, improve energy-saving technology, tighten control in energy consumption, build a mechanism to ensure energy-saving implementation and enhance the awareness of the public on energy-saving.

Regarding the two deadly industrial cases that have drawn nationwide concerns, the participants approved the punishments against the concerned parties.

The license of the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has been revoked for its involvement in a fake drug case which claimed 11 lives. The authorities have decided to give Party disciplinary and administrative penalties to 11 people and transfer 10 others to judicial organs for their involvement in the case.

The meeting also approved to give Party and administrative punishments to 33 people and transfer 11 of them to judicial departments, holding them responsible for a tragic coal mine explosion in Heilongjiang that killed 171 people and injured 48 others on Nov. 27, 2005.

The meeting urged local authorities to take lessons from these deadly accidents and exert greater efforts to ensure people's safety.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)