China has been making active efforts to establish oil reserves to ensure national energy and economy safety, Ma Kai, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said Wednesday.

In line with international practice, petroleum will be stored at oil bases by both government and enterprise, Ma said at a press conference on the sidelines of the parliamentary session.

"The two sectors of the oil reserve system are well underway," said the minister, noting that it takes time to make the reserves perfect.

Wei Liucheng, Communist Party chief of China's southernmost province of Hainan, said Tuesday the province is actively seeking to establish an oil reserve base.

Though declined to give more details, Wei said the provincial government is negotiating with international petroleum syndicates on the issue and "Hainan boasts distinctive advantages for building both national strategic oil reserve base and commercial oil reserve base."

He pointed out that the tropical island is located near the main international sea routes for oil shipping, and that a 300,000- ton crude oil wharf is already in operation in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone on the island.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)