IT Application, China National Statistics Information Network and International Cooperation
IT Application,
Mr. Hu Fan
Deputy Director-General
National Bureau of Statistics of
I. Current status of IT application and
Development of
In terms of hardware, mainframe computers, workstations and hosts of over 130 sets, PC server of 1600 sets, and PCs of 586 and higher of 33,000 sets are in service in all the Statistics Bureaus at the level of county and above.
In terms of software, in addition to legal copies of system software and common software, application software of common and specific purpose for processing of reporting tables and forms, statistics tables and forms, and for statistics analysis have either been independently developed or imported.
In network development, a framework has bee built up. It connects NBS with provincial statistics bureaus in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the State Council) and city statistics bureaus in 33 key cities. WAN capacity expansion and update at national and provincial level, WAN development at provincial and city level, and extension to bureaus at county level are underway.
In data processing,
With the development and perfection of statistics information network in statistics bureaus at each level, network based statistics endeavors and information service were launched and network technology application realized: data transmission through e-mail, office automation and official document processing, statistics database query, and information release at Internet/Intranet workstations by NBS and provincial statistics bureaus.
II. Problems in IT application and development of
Due to many reasons, problems, such as regarding hardware as more important than software, regarding construction as more important than management, regarding development as more important than application, and attaching more importance to “ high level” than to grass-root, crop up often in the process of developing China statistics information network Some are serious problems. Such as messy and varied software for processing of conventional statistics reporting tables and forms, weak management and inefficient utilization of information sources, and low status of sustained database utilization
Lack of uniform data rules, lack of data exchange criteria, and lack of unified application system, all lead to an imperfect database development at all local statistics bureaus. What attributes to these problems are departure from actual demand on application, detachment from information sources, absence of scientific planning and guidance, and lack of a updating and maintenance system. However, all-type mini-databases for specific purpose and to satisfy the demand of individuals or small organizations have been developed at comprehensive statistics departments. Due to shortage of funding and absence of unified planning and guidance, such databases are of sub-standarded in terms of criteria and information sharing, thus aggravating the existing data gap, hampering the progress of an uniform management on data sources and data sharing.
Furthermore, there exist vulnerable spots of management in the informationization planning.
III. International cooperation program, IT application, and
In the process of reform and opening up and integration of
undertaking onto international practice, international cooperation in
1. China-Canada cooperation program: NBS and Statistics Canada launched in September 2002 meta-database and database development. Through joint efforts, major tasks as provided in the project document have all been successfully done. In October 2003, Check-up and acceptance working team of the Two Parties checked and accepted the database, and on
Planning has been made to promote the achievements of the two databases in provincial statistics bureaus which ever are feasible to do so, and to tap further on the two databases for online information release.
Meta-database and database, developed by the Chinese Party based on the development and application experience of Statistics Canada and
2.
The Chinese version CSPro and metacodes have all been returned to US Census Bureau except that applied in
The Two Parties shall joint efforts in renovation of SARP,
Following the integration onto international practice of national account system, statistics criteria system, statistics indicator system, and statistics surveys, it is inevitable for criteria and standards applied in
The great significance of this cooperation lies in the modification of UNICODE criteria. Its success has turned CSPro into an internationalized software in real sense, which is critical for dissemination and promotion in non-English spoken countries and regions, and is important for enhancing NBS influence in statistics endeavors world-wide.
For the success, representative of US Census Bureau put it as “ It made history “. To NBS, it is a significant achievement made on the shoulders of a “Giant”.
3. China—Germany cooperation on exchange in IT management: In January 2003, NBS’s IT delegation went to make a study tour to Federal Statistics Office of Germany as provided in the China-Germany cooperation agreement. Focus of the study tour was IT application, IT resources planning, allocation, utilization, performance assessment, accounting management, statistics e-government and development of e-government, performance assessment on statistics program.
In later 2004, Federal Statistics Office of Germany shall dispatch a IT delegation to
IT management exchange between
IV. Summary
China National statistics information network has made great progress through wide-ranging international cooperation in terms of database development, data processing criteria, informationization and management. International cooperation has also helped enhance
International cooperation shall be further promoted to combine overseas update technology with China’s statistics endeavors, and to build up a statistics technology system in line with China’s conditions, and to share China’s expertise and technology in large scale census, and the population census is one in case, with international colleagues of the same trade.