The Chinese State Council has decided to cancel 409 administrative affairs items that were subject to approval by the government.

The 409 items were related to economic, social and administrative affairs upon which the government determined to remove its control, said Li Yubin, vice minister of Supervision, in Beijing Monday.

Meanwhile, the government will change the licensing procedure of another 86 items in the list.

China started a reform on the government approval in 2001 and some 1,300 items of government licensing have been canceled or adjusted in October 2002 and February 2003. So far half of the administrative affairs items have been removed from government approval.

The law on administrative licensing will take effect on July 1 this year. The Chinese government started an overhaul of licensing items in line with the law in September last year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2004)