Knowledge economy was still something unheard of just a decade ago. But today it has become a household word and is on everybody’s lips. Knowledge economy is not only a concept now, but will be a reality in near future. At the turn of the century, a new knowledge economy age is approaching us.
　　In the 1980s, when people talked about the Third Wave and the post industrial society, knowledge economy remained a concept yet to be crystallized. However, in the 1990s, with knowledge playing an increasingly vitalrole in every sphere imaginable of our economic life, a knowledge-based economy is gradually taking shape. Simply shated, knowledge economy is a kind of economic system based on the production, storage, distribution and consumption of knowledge and information products. Knowledge economy is knowledge-intensive, energy-saving as well as environment-friendly. In the knowledge economy era, economic development relies heavily on science and technology. For example, the information industry in the US has already ac-counted for 10% of its gross domestic product and is expected to enjoy a further increase in the years to come.
　　This imminent knowledge economy age presents both vast opportunities and immense challenges to every nation. Worldwide competition in knowledge and information, science and technology, inventions and patents, nature a land human resources will become even more fierce. As the saying goes, "Knowledge is power", and so the gap between countries, in the final analysis, is the gap of knowledge. To meet these challenges posed by knowledge economy, our country should raise the overall quality of her labor force and cultivate more and more specialized personnel.