In a bid to provide a unified standard for measuring the spread of information technologies, the Ministry of Information Industry Sunday created 20 evaluation indices.
The indices will measure such factors as television and radio broadcast time per 1,000 residents and the number of phone calls made per capita. They are aimed at painting a clearer picture of what sorts of technologies are used in China.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have raced to outpace other regions in developing the sector. But until this, there was no authoritative or efficient way to compare progress.
These indices will give specific figures to show the popularity of information services, officials said.
It also helps measure China's status in the world.
The indices also include measures on e-commerce trade volume and the proportion of the information industry products in the gross domestic product. Still, officials hastened to add the indices are not intended to simply declare winners and losers.
Rather, they will provide valuable insight to help direct the development of the sector.
"The indices are of strategic significance to promoting the national economy and the popularity of information services," Minister of Information Industry Wu Jichuan said.
(China Daily 07/30/2001)
