A senior Chinese official has called for improvements to the quality of the country's higher education and better regulation of university budgets.

State Councilor Chen Zhili said China's universities and colleges, guided by the scientific development concept, should focus more on the cultivation of talents and professional personnel to help upgrade the country's innovation capability.

She stressed the importance of improving the management of university's financial resources and called on university heads to closely monitor the use of their funds.

Chen said a new system to manage university start-ups should be built to promote the development of university enterprises.

"Institutions of higher learning should further promote educational reform and pursue scientific innovation in professional personnel training," said Chen at an ongoing educational meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2007)