International Workshop on Industrial Statistics Held Successfully in Dalian

The United Nations Statistics Division, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics of China, organized an International workshop on Industrial Statistics from 21 to 23 June 2010 inDalian, China. Mr. Xu Xianchun Deputy Commissioner of NBS, addressed in the opening ceremony and met with officials and experts from UN.

Mr. Xu Xianchun pointed out that, after the international financial crisis, all countries in the world were facing ordeal. In order to formulate scientific and effective macroeconomic control measures, the policy decision-making departments need to estimate the economic situation in a accurate and timely manner, therefore, it brings up higher demand on official statistics. According to the new situation, by taking improving statistical capacities, data quality and credibility as its overall requirements, the Chinese official statistics authority is actively to promote statistical reforms, earnestly to organizes the censuses and current surveys, makes great efforts to improve data quality, conducts in-depth statistical analysis, and try hard to provide accuracy information and scientific verdict, feasible suggestions to maintain steady and relatively fast growth of the economy.

Mr. Xu Xianchun indicated that China is speeding up its reforms on statistical system and methodologies, aiming to build a unified, complete and suitable statistical standard system, a scientific, unified and contracted statistical indicator system, and a scientific, high-efficient, and saving statistical survey system. In this process, China hopes to learn international statistical standards, and experience from all other countries in the world and use them for reference as well, and China is also willing to share the experience and achievements of China s statistical reform and construction with other countries in the world, especially other developing countries in Asia.

Mr. Xu Xianchun said, UNSD has been devoting to promote the development of global statistical system. In 2009, with the support of UNSD, the project on strengthening statistical capacity development in China and other developing countries in Asia funded by the Chinese Government was formally launched. NBS pays much attention to the trust fund project and international exchange in statistical fields. In 2010, NBS established an agency titled ChinaInternationalStatisticalTrainingCenter . The center will in charge of the implementation of the project and the organizational works of related international statistical exchanges, trainings and seminars. NBS gives profound attention to the Workshop, aiming to learn form international organizations and statistical colleagues from other countries, and aiming to enhance the industrial statistical capacities of developing countries in Asia including China.

During the five-day workshop, the participants discussed and shared the international and regional experience on the calculation ofindustrial production index, the calculation and adjustment of weights, the selection of indicators and survey units, the release of industrial production index and its relationship with other industrial indices, and the production of statistics on capacity utilization, etc..

Nine featured speeches were held. Mr. Ralph Beck from the UN, Mr. Shaham, chief statistician of UNIDO, Mr. Cai Jiazhi, council of UNSD, Mr. David Mikdewell from Statistics Canada, Mr. Att Hanzec from ESCAP made speeches in their professional field. During the workshop, representatives from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and China introduced their experience. This workshop gained a very favorable outcome under the effort of NBS and UNSD.

Mr. Ralph Beck from UNSD and Mr. Zhang Weihua, Deputy-Director, Department of Industrial Statistics of NBS was the host and the coordinator during the international and China discussion course. Mr. Zhang Jing, Commissioner of Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Bai Changnian, Deputy Secretary of Dalian government, Mr. Gao Lian, Commissioner of Dalian Bureau of Statistics attended the opening ceremony. Mr. Xia Rongpo, Deputy Director of Statistical Education Center of NBS presided over the ceremony. 72 representatives from 13 Asian countries participated the workshop.