Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged the country's service sector to learn from its foreign counterparts in a bid to improve the service quality.

The call came when Wen toured the ongoing China International Service Industries Convention and Expo Friday night, together with Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The service sector was of great significance to China's social and economic development, as it was an important industry to optimize the economic structure, improve the quality of economic growth, and raise people's living standard, as well as a major channel for employment, the premier said.

He also called for strengthening international cooperation and exchange in the service sector.

China's service sector contributed 33.1 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003, up from 23.7 percent in 1978, statistics showed.

The Convention and Expo was sponsored by the State Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, China Banking Regulatory Commission and the Beijing Municipal government.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2004)