BEIJING -- Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua on Tuesday called for strong measures to promote the census and protection of crop germplasm resources to consolidate the development foundation of the seed industry.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending a meeting on the census of crop germplasm resources.

A thorough census of these resources should be conducted, and a national crop-germplasm resources catalog should be created to protect the resources scientifically, Hu noted.

He also called for solid work in managing situ conservation areas and building germplasm resources pools. He further called for rescuing, collecting, and preserving endangered species.