The new policy will consist of a series of development goals for the coming 10 years by the State Press and Publication Administration, said senior administration officials.

Shi Zongyuan, director of the administration, said the press and publication sector is both a key component of the national economy and a publicity and ideological instrument of the Communist Party of China.

Many policies, regulations and conceptual frameworks must be readjusted, revised and modified in conformity with the country's goal of building a relatively affluent society in an all-round way, he said.

Liu Binjie, deputy director of the administration, said that except for the content, which is cultural and ideological in nature, the press and publication sector is similar to other industrial sectors in terms of capital construction, processing, packaging and designing, marketing and distribution.

"We have traditionally placed too much emphasis on the ideological nature of the sector, while neglecting its commercial aspects and role as an industry," he said. "Only when we begin to treat it as an industry, will the press and publication sector enjoy a better future," Liu said.

Due to a lack of clear industrial policy, the sector has been put under excessively rigid control over the past five decades.

"We will now begin to reduce the number of steps with regard to government approval, streamline the procedures formulated and practiced under the condition of a highly-centralized planned economy, and allow enterprises of the sector to enjoy more power for running business independently," the deputy director said.

To boost the development of the sector, the State Press and Publication Administration adopted nearly 20 regulations and policies last year, and about 20 more policies and measures will be published this year, focusing on administration within the legal framework, deepening reform, opening up to the outside world, and improving supervision, he said.

The new regulations to be issued are related to the publications market, newspapers, periodicals and imported publications.

Liu said the administration plans to approve the establishment of joint ventures between Chinese companies and prestigious foreign public opinion survey firms in order to verify and authenticate the claims made by newspapers and periodicals with respect to their respective circulations.

Many Chinese newspaper and periodical companies provide exaggerated circulation figures to their advertisement clients, he said.

According to him, China's news and publishing sector will become a robust industry by the year 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2003)