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Since 1978, the policies of reform and opening to the outside
world have enabled China's industry to enter a stage of great
innovation and development. Industry reform first began by
giving more rights to and leaving more profits for enterprises,
extending enterprises' independent operations and practicing
the enterprise contract responsibility system. Next, China
speeded up its industrialization through the introduction
of foreign capital and opening to the outside world. From
1978 to1999, China's industry increased at an average rate
of 11.1 percent every year, and the comprehensive industrial
strength was remarkably enhanced. By 1999, some 3,535.7 billion
yuan of industrial added value had been attained, an increase
of 10.2 times over1978. In 1999, the outputs of steel, raw
coal, electricity and cement were 124 million tons, 1.045
billion tons, 1,239.3 billion kwh and 573 million tons---increases
of 3.9 times, 69 percent, 4.8 and 8.8 times over 1978, respectively.
In addition, a number of new- and high-technology products
have grown by leaps and bounds, such as stored-program-controlled
switching systems, large-scale integrated circuits and micro-electronic
computers.
At present, China ranks first in the world in production
of steel, coal, cement, fertilizers and TV sets. It places
second in the world in the output of electricity, cloth and
chemical fibers. It ranks fourth and fifth in the output of
sugar and crude oil, respectively. It ranks first in the world
in the output of grain, meat, cotton, peanuts, rape seed and
fruits. It places second in production of tea, soybeans and
sugar canes.
China's heavy industry includes the energy,
iron and steel, machinery and chemical industries. In 1999,
the added value produced by heavy industry in state-owned
enterprises and industrial enterprises above a certain scale
amounted to 1,161.7 billion yuan.
 Light
industry in China includes 40-odd sectors, including
paper-making, daily-use mechanical devices, salt production,
foodstuffs, silicates for household use, plastics, electro-optical
sources, household chemical products, metal products, household
appliances, and leathers and furs-a total of more than 300,000
varieties. Since the introduction of the policies of reform
and opening to the outside world, with a high market orientation
level, light industrial enterprises have accelerated the pace
of introduction of foreign investment and advanced technologies.
As a result, household consumption has become abundant, and
many famous-brand and high-quality products have appeared
on the market. The textile industry is developing rapidly,
satisfying not only the domestic needs but also entering the
international market. In 1999, the added value of the light
and textile industries reached 869 billion yuan.
Computers, software and telecommunications are the three
major parts of China's information industry. By 1999, the
total scale of the information industry was
at the top international level. The output of color TV sets,
sound equipment and telephones had leaped to first place in
the world; the total sales income of the electronic information
industry had reached 430 billion yuan, with 39 billion US
dollars in export value. At the same time, with remarkable
market potential, computer software development and information
services are also developing well in recent years. Currently,
finance, posts and telecommunications, science and technology,
education, business activities and government institutions
in China all have their own network systems and databases
connected with the Internet. So far, China has 8.9 million
Internet users.
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