The Chinese government is to set up a committee to consider the standardization of electronic files so they can adapt to different software, according to the Ministry of Information Industry (MII).

Electronic files created by different software are not inter-adaptable, which hampers the communication and sharing of information.

"With the fast development of information technologies, electronic file information, including design blueprints, geographical information, electronic documents and archives information, has become increasingly important," said an official with the MII.

However, the lack of a standard system hindered the circulation of information, with many electronic files confined to more than 10,000 formats. Occasionally different versions of the same product were incompatible with each other. In most cases the ruptured information flow was monopolized by very few big companies.

He said the research and development of electronic file technologies and standardized systems had made it possible to advance the communication and sharing of electronic file information.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2006)