an issue of longstanding significance, it must resort to state development strategies along with planning, investment, pricing and other macroeconomic policies and means, so as to achieve an organic integration of energy management, socioeconomic development programs and macro-control.

How can the management of key industries be improved?

The responsibilities of regulating the industrial sectors are scattered among several government departments. This makes it difficult to coordinate the regulatory work. It is necessary to have a specific department performing all relevant responsibilities, in order to strengthen overall planning and guidance, coordinate the advancements of informationization and industrialization, promote the integration of hi-tech and traditional industries, and push forward the shift of industrial sectors' development priority from being big to being strong. The new departments are designed to take charge of laying out strategic plans, making policies, devising standards and providing overall guidance. The principle will not be changed to separate the functions of the government from those of enterprises, it will not interfere in operations of enterprises that will compete in the market independently.

The transportation sector is the backbone of the national economy. Since the initiation of reform and opening-up policy, the industry has great achievements and is expected to maintain vigorous growth in the future. Reform is necessary to optimize the overall arrangement of various transportation means, in order to raise efficiency and speed up the building of a convenient, smooth, efficient, safe and comprehensive transportation system.

What measures should be taken to enhance and integrate public administration and public services?

Public administration and public services are important responsibilities of the government. The reshuffle of government departments under the State Council will abide by the people-first principle and focus on improving people's livelihood.

The reform of the personnel management and social security system has the following objectives: to integrate the personnel management systems in government departments, public institutions and enterprises; build a unified and standardized human resources market; promote labor mobility and effective allocation of human resources; coordinate employment and social security policies; and build and improve an overall social security network encompassing unemployment insurance, pension and other programs. These reforms are expected to better tap China's human resources and further emancipate and develop productive forces.

Focuses of the reform of the housing and urban-rural construction management systems are to deepen housing reform, establish a housing guarantee system and improve the low-rent housing system to meet the demands of low-income families, and strengthen the overall planning of rural-urban construction to push forward the urbanization process.

The administration of food and drug safety will be reinforced through furthering the implementation of the food safety control responsibility system and clarifying responsibilities of relevant departments.

Ministerial Lineup

The following is a list of ministerial members of China's State Council approved on March 17 at the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress.

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Yang Jiechi

Minister of National Defense: Liang Guanglie

Minister in charge of the National Development and

Reform Commission: Zhang Ping

Minister of Education: Zhou Ji

Minister of Science and Technology: Wan Gang

Minister of Industry and Information: Li Yizhong

Minister in charge of the State Ethnic Affairs

Commission: Yang Jing

Minister of Public Security: Meng Jianzhu

Minister of State Security: Geng Huichang

Minister of Supervision: Ma Wen (female)

Minister of Civil Affairs: Li Xueju

Minister of Justice: Wu Aiying (female)

Minister of Finance: Xie Xuren

Minister of Human Resources and Social

Security: Yin Weimin

Minister of Land and Resources: Xu Shaoshi

Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural

Construction: Jiang Weixin

Minister of Railways: Liu Zhijun

Minister of Transport: Li Shenglin

Minister of Water Resources: Chen Lei

Minister of Agriculture: Sun Zhengcai

Minister of Environmental Protection: Zhou Shengxian

Minister of Commerce: Chen Deming

Minister of Culture: Cai Wu

Minister of Health: Chen Zhu

Minister in charge of the State Population and Family

Planning Commission: Li Bin (female)

Governor of the People's Bank of China: Zhou Xiaochuan

Auditor General of the National Audit Office: Liu Jiayi