President Hu Jintao urged local governments to speed up industrial structural adjustment and the transformation of modes of production during his December 21-22 inspection tour of south China's Guangdong Province.

Hu said that China should take advantage of opportunities presented by changes around the world to quicken the pace of its own structural adjustment and intensification of production.

During the adjustment process, he said, innovation should play a key role, and advanced technologies could be developed as core technologies to enhance Chinese enterprises' competitiveness.

Hu explained how to implement the scientific concept of development in real practice. He said that local governments should go on implementing the central government's policy of enhancing and improving macroeconomic controls. Work concerning rural areas, agriculture and farmers should be the government's top concern.

In order to consolidate economic achievements, Hu said, the Communist Party of China should improve and strengthen its ruling capacity.

The president visited Guangdong shortly after his trip to Macao to attend celebrations for the 5th anniversary of its return to the motherland.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2004)