President Hu Jintao said Monday that promoting the saving of energy and resources should be taken as priority by the country and viewed as one of the basic principles the government should follow in the future.

Hu made the remarks when presiding over a collective study meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

"We should follow the path that is tech-intensive, cost-effective, low pollution and in which people can exercise their capabilities," said Hu.

First of all, he said, China should adjust economic structure and shift economic growth manner via introducing advanced technologies and promoting the development of high- and-new tech industries and changing the updated growth mode that features highinvestment, high consumption, high pollution and low efficiency.

Secondly, China should accelerate the process of building a technology support system for energy and resources and enhance thestudy of important technologies that may affect the development direction of the energy and resources industries.

Thirdly, he said, the current consumption structure should be optimized through promoting saving technologies and reasonable consumption ideas so that people may consume in a saving-oriented way.

He also urged the country to promote a recycling economy that stresses recycling and clean production and set up a long term mechanism that serves saving energy and resources.

According to him, governmental and policy guidance should also be enhanced and law and standard systems should be erected to thateffect.

"We should also carry out various activities to lift the savingawareness among the public, especially the young, so that the saving of energy and resources can become a volunteer act by all citizens," he said. 

Editor: Yan