BEIJING, Nov 29: China will focus on restructuring the economy and reinforcing the importance of agriculture in 2004, a government economic conference has decided, official media reported on Saturday.

China will accelerate development of the new and hi-tech industries related to information technology, Xinhua news agency said.

It must also accelerate the development of tertiary or service industries “which is a major driving force in expanding employment” and progressively rationalize income distribution throughout the country, the meeting decided.

China suffers from enormous divisions between a growing class which is seeing its standard of living rise quickly, while many areas remain stuck in great poverty.

President Hu Jintao and the Prime Minister Wen Jiabao addressed the meeting, which stressed that more efforts must be made to increase the incomes of peasants and to protect arable lands against land speculation.

It called for a reduction of the taxes which continue to weigh on farmers. Stress was also laid on the need for developing the far west of the country and revitalizing the old industrial centres of the northeast.

The 3-day central economic work conference, jointly held by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council, ended on Saturday.—AFP