China will continue to maintain good economic growth in 2003,
Minister in Charge of the State Development Planning Commission
(SDPC)
Zeng
Peiyan said Friday.
Zeng said China had sustained rapid and healthy economic growth
despite complicated domestic and international situations since
1998. The Chinese government would focus on realizing the four
economic goals set by the 16th
National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) next
year -- promoting economic growth, increasing employment,
stabilizing prices and maintaining a favorable balance of
payments.
He
made the remarks at the National Planning Meeting which opened in
Beijing Friday.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji sent a written message to the meeting,
saying that the planning section of the government has done an
efficient job in improving macro-economic control and promoting
sustained, rapid and healthy growth, especially in the areas of
expanding domestic demand and optimizing the use and management of
money from issuing treasury bonds.
Zeng set forth nine major tasks of running the economy in 2003.The
nine tasks were: increasing farmers' incomes; optimizing investment
funded by treasury bonds; creating jobs; enhancing industrial
competitiveness; development of western areas; restructuring
investment systems, pricing, grain and cotton circulation and the
management of monopolized industries; further expanding
international economic and technological cooperation and exchanges;
encouraging consumption; and improving social welfare.
He
said next year's economic work would center around economic
restructuring. China would encourage, support and guide the
development of non-state economic sectors while re-enforcing the
state-owned economy. The government would use its investment to
lure more private investment into fixed assets so as to secure a
steady growth of investment.
He
said the government would continue to streamline the process of
project approval and strengthen supervision. China would attach
priority to utilizing foreign investment to the introduction of
advanced technology, management expertise, professional talents and
intellects. China would continue to improve the competitiveness of
local enterprises and manage to develop a group of competitive
multinational enterprises and famous brands.
He
said the government would be prompt in detecting and resolving
major issues that affected the direction and trend of the economy
and keep improving the standard of macro-economic control.
Among those attending the meeting were provincial and local
government officials in charge of planning work, officials from
various departments of the central government and representatives
from large state-owned enterprises.
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2002)