Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan on Monday said China should improve its city planning.

The first 20 years of the 21st century is a crucial period for China's urbanization, said Zeng in the written speech to the first annual conference on Chinese urban development and planning.

Land, water and energy conservation should be the primary considerations in city planning and historical culture should also be given better protection, he said.

Zeng also stressed the need for more coordination in the development of rural and urban areas.

With the theme of building energy-saving and environmentally-friendly Chinese cities, the conference attracted more than 1,000 participants from China and abroad.

Participants compared city planning and housing systems of China and other countries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2006)