The World Bank will continue its support to China's urbanization in the fields of sewage disposal, infrastructure construction and financial loans, said its Vice President Katherine Sierra in southwest China's Chongqing on Wednesday.

The official makes the above statement at the fifth Asia-Pacific Cities Summit.

Currently, more than 80 percent of China's economic growth comes from cities and townships and Chinese society is in full swing of urbanization, said the official.

Sierra said the World Bank has already been aware that rapid economic growth has brought great pressures to China and the World Bank will help to raise the competitiveness of China's cities.

The official said the World Bank will help the cities in improving the residential condition and in the fields of finance, especially in those small and medium-sized cities.

The World Bank started its financial aid program in China in 1985 and it has provided more than 5 billion US dollars in loans to 31 Chinese cities primarily in improving the environment.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2005)