Fourthly, an advanced information network has been set up, and information applications developing rapidly. In 1978, there were only 13 long distance lines. By 1987, the first program-controlled telephone network was built. By the end of last year, there are 262 telephones for every hundred residents in Dongguan. Advanced postal and telecommunications network and broadcast TV network and internet network have been set up, and fiber-optical cable can be accessible to every village, and every household can get access to internet, information technology are in extensive use in the enterprises, public service organizations and government administrative departments, the composite index of information application reached 82.4%, national and social information application level ranking among the first in Guangdong Province.

Fifth, developing from backward to rich and civilized, the social and economical development are in harmony. Before 1978, some of the people in Dongguan were not adequately fed and clad. At present, most of the people in Dongguan are living a post-well-off life. Last year, the disposable income in city and towns was 16, 938, the net income of farmers 7,366, the per capita saving balance of residents 52,000 yuan, more than 17 times of that in 1980. The per capita living area 43.8 square meters, with 20 cars for every hundred household, ranking the first in Guangdong. Since this year, every day, more than 100 new cars are registered, the biggest number even is reaching 413.

The social insurance of people have been improved day by day, while improving the social insurance of employees, practices like personal participation and collective support are implemented, and taking the lead to set up the first farmer pension insurance, all the participants, aged 60 for male and 55 for female will get 150 yuan pension every month, and 584,000 farmers participate this insurance.

Democratic and legislative system are continuously pushing forward and improved, especially after 1999, we have implementing direct voting from village or residential committee, and base autonomous organization and democratic management system are improved, so that the citizens' rights are protected and freedom ensured. All circles are developing in the all-around way.

These years, the position of Dongguan has been promoted extraordinarily: the comprehensive economic strength has ascended among the 20 large and midium-sized cities, and ranking the fourth in Guangdong, next to Zhenzhen, Guangzhou and Foshan. Many economic indicators are considerable in Guangdong and even Chine. Last year, the total import and export volume amounted to US$34.45 billion, including US$18.99 billion export, ranking the third for 6 consecutive years, just next to Shenzhen and Shenzhen, accounting for 7.1% in China, and 19.9%. in 2001, the collective assets of the city, town and village amounted to 12.63 billion yuan, including the net assets of villages 28.6 billion yuan, accounting for one third of the total collective assets of the village level in Guangdong; the saving balance of RMB and foreign currency of the financial organizations amounting to 156.59 billion yuan, accounting for 7.2% of the total saving balance Guangdong, and 1% of that in China. Among the 21 prefecture and above level cities m Guangdong, GDP and export volume ranking have leaped respectively from the thirteenth and the eighth in 1978 to the fifth and the second. The total posts and telecommunications volume amounted to 12.25 billion yuan, electricity consumption 20.772 billion kw, ranking the second in Guangdong.

Many of the economic and social development indicator has reached modem standard. In 2001, the per capita GDP reached US$4,569, equal to that of medium developed countries. Campared to the ten standards of modernization raised by the American modernization issue expert Engels, except that the proportion of the product value of GDP of the tertiary industry 39 still has some distance to the standard of "more than 45", all other indicator has reached the standards, this illustrates mat we are very close to modernization.

(to be continue)

Editor: James