The move is aimed to encourage the public to participate in the State's decision-making process and increase transparency in the process, said Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC), at a press conference.

The major participants in implementing the plan are enterprises and individuals under the market economy, so they have to recognize, know about, and take part in the whole process of formulating the plan, Zeng said.

Extensive public participation will not only help give full play to the basic role of the market in resources distribution, but also help promote socialist democracy, he noted.

People can voice their opinions and suggestions on such areas as farmers' income, township enterprises, industrialization and information, high technology, the service sector, the strategy to develop the western areas, urbanization, eco-system and environmental protection, sustainable development, employment, social security system, non-public economies, and education, etc.

The SDPC has also conducted cooperative studies on certain subjects with international organizations including the World Bank, and achieved positive results, the official said.

To promote the activity, the SDPC will sponsor a wide range of discussions in major Beijing-based newspapers, open a website at www.sdpc.gov.cn., and accept letters or E-mails directly, he said.

(Xinhua 10/23/2000)