China administrative system reform enters 'deep water'

Over the past 35 years of reforms and opening-up, China has experienced six rounds of administrative system reforms. The number of ministries and commissions under the State Council has been cut by half and the government is operating in a scientific, efficient and transparent way.

The administrative system reforms have waded into "deep waters", meaning there are high expectations among the public for deeper reforms and a service-oriented, clean and frugal government, experts said.

Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said excessive, lazy or mediocre governance not only damages the trust between the public and governments, but also curbs local economic and social development.

During the transformation of government functions, shortcomings should be corrected first, Wang said.

To improve government efficiency, the Chinese government has simplified some review and approval procedures to reduce its excessive intervention in some market activities.

The State Council, in a meeting on September 25, approved revisions to an investment list, allowing projects with sufficient market activity and in line with structural adjustment only to report to authorities, rather than requiring government approvals.

The meeting exempted another 75 items from central government approval, taking the total number of exempted items to 221 since the new leadership assumed office in March.

In the newly-established free-trade zone in Shanghai, a company requires only four days, compared to the 29 days required previously, to get registered.

Meanwhile, in the Binhai New District of the municipality of Tianjin, the administrative system was streamlined after removing three sub-district governments.

Reforms in localities might encounter setbacks, but as long as the reforms help nurture an efficient, clean and service-oriented government, they are worth a trial, said Cheng Biding, vice-president of the Chinese Society of Regional Economy.