China has decided to reduce or adjust the number of items subject to central government approval by 314 in order to further transform governmental functions.

According to a list made public on Wednesday, the State Council, China's cabinet, will remove 171 administrative approval items, while the power to approve another 117 items will be handed down to government departments at lower levels.

In addition, 17 items will be merged into other items, while another nine items will be sent to fewer government departments for approval.

So far, 2,497 administrative approval items, or 69.3 percent of the total, have been rescinded or adjusted since the country initiated its administrative examination and approval system reforms in 2001, according to a statement issued by the State Council's administrative examination and approval system reform office.

The new round of reductions mainly covers investment and social projects with a special focus on the real economy, small- and micro-sized enterprises and private investments.

The administrative approval reforms have boosted the transformation of governmental functions, lawful administration, administrative innovation and the building of a clean government, the statement quoted an unidentified official from the office as saying.

The official, however, admitted that the number of administrative approval items is still more than needed at present and the system still suffers from prolonged and inefficient approval procedures and a lack of supervision.

The government will, in the future, continue to rescind or adjust administrative approval items with the principle of reducing and delegating whatever is necessary, the official said. x The government will also strictly examine newly established approval items and promote the use of an electronic supervision system for administrative approval so as to ensure more transparent operation, the official said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2012)