Zhang Ping at the press conference.

Zhang Ping, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, said on Wednesday that the country's 7.8-percent economic growth in 2012 should be evaluated "positively" and he is confident about the overall economy in the long run.

"China currently remains in an important period of strategic opportunities... and I am sure the economy will sustain a durable and healthy development," Zhang told a press conference Wednesday morning on the sideline of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing.

Zhang said the 7.8-percent gross domestic product growth in 2012 should be highly appraised as it exceeded the year-beginning target of 7.5 percent, though it receded from 9.3 percent in 2011.

Meanwhile, the growth was the highest among major economies, and was attained upon the backdrop of the global financial crisis, which had a negative impact on the economy, Zhang noted.

The senior official said China had increased the quality and efficiency of its economy while maintaining a fairly high growth, after decades of fast development had brought a large economic scale.

He further noted that China's economic achievement was made while keeping consumer prices stable and bringing people's income to a new level.

China's consumer prices rose 2.6 percent in 2012, 1.4 percentage points lower than the 4-percent inflation target set at the beginning of the year.

The average income of residents in rural areas rose 10.7 percent in 2012, and 9.6 percent in cities and townships, according to Zhang.

He added, however, that there are still some challenges in developing the economy, "which we must face and overcome through hard work."

Zhang said China is positively advancing industrialization, informatization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, which will offer much room for expanding domestic demand.

Meanwhile, deepening reform will further drive economic development, he predicted.

More highlights of the press conference:

• China needs to address industrial overcapacity
Addressing surplus production capacity is a major part of efforts to adjust China's economic structure and transform its pattern of development, a senior economic official said Wednesday.

• China stresses boosting consumption, investing in public sector
China aims to boost domestic demand through raising incomes and spending more on infrastructure related to public welfare, a top economic official said Wednesday.

• China advancing pilot zone for mainland-HK cooperation
China's top economic planner said on Wednesday that the mainland is in the process of implementing most of the measures aimed at boosting mainland-Hong Kong cooperation in a pilot zone neighboring Hong Kong.

• China to issue urbanization layout in 2013
China is likely to roll out a layout this year to guide the country's urbanization drive to advance in an "orderly and healthy" way, a senior economic official said Wednesday.

• Top economic planner defends macro-economic policy
The head of China's top economic planner on Wednesday defended the government's economic policy as a means of effectively defusing a crisis and maintaining high growth momentum over the past five years.

• China to reform gasoline pricing mechanism
China's top economic planner said Wednesday the country is studying a new fuel pricing scheme to make it reflect the global markets' oil price fluctuations more swiftly.

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