The National People's Congress, China's legislature, endorsed
Premier Wen Jiabao's work report and the country's 11th Five-Year
Guidelines on Tuesday with votes close to unanimity, which
enshrined the country's new economic policies of relying on rural
development and sci-tech progress.
The government work report and the Five-Year Guidelines
projected an eight percent growth rate for 2006, and 7.5 percent
for the five years by 2010 on the basis of reduced energy
consumption and pollutant discharge.
Premier Wen's report was approved with a supporting rate of
98.86 percent, and the Outline of the Five-Year Guidelines for
Economic and Social Development passed with supportive votes of
more than 97 percent among 2,891 deputies presenting at the closing
meeting of the 10th NPC's fourth session.
"The final validation of the Government's action plan for the
next five years by NPC signifies China's major shift of economic
policies from urban development and heavy investment in
billion-dollar projects to boosting rural and sci-tech investment
for sustainable development," said Li Chong'an, an NPC deputy and
vice-chairman of the NPC Law Committee.
In the past five years, China maintained an average 9.5-percent
annual economic growth. In 2005, economic growth rate mounted to
9.9 percent and per capita GDP exceeded US$1,700.
It also shows that while putting more emphasis on economic
efficiency, China will also stress social equity by narrowing the
gap between the rich and poor "for the ultimate goal of easing
social confrontations and maintaining social stability," said Dr.
Ding Yuanzhu with the Macro-Economic Research Institute of the
National Development and Reform Commission.
On Tuesday, NPC also ratified the plan for economic and social
development in 2006, central budget for 2006, as well as the work
reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court
and the Supreme People's Procuratorate to the 10th NPC's fourth
session.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2006)