The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council jointly held the Central Economic Working Conference in Beijing from November 27-29.

Top leaders Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing attended the conference.

Jiang, the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a key-note speech at the conference, to sum up 2001's economic work, analyze the present domestic and international situation, propose the general outline for the economic work of 2002, and make arrangements for the major tasks necessary for China's reform, development and stability.

In his speech, the Party leader called for the Party and all of society to work hard to achieve a sustainable, rapid and healthy economic development and overall social progress, in order to be well-prepared for the opening of the 16th Party Congress.

The meeting had high praise for the country's sound development trends in 2001, the first year of the 10th Fifthe-year Plan , despite a worldwide economic slowdown.

This year, China has achieved a sustained, rapid and healthy development of its national economy, characterized by greater efforts to restructure the economy, a faster capital investment, a steady increase in consumer demand, a continued growth in foreign trade and overseas investment, major steps made in the efforts to develop the backward, western part of the country, an increase in revenue, the smooth operation of the financial sector, deepening of reforms in different fields, and better quality and performance in economic growth.

It attributed the achievements to the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Jiang Zemin at the core.

The conference hailed Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, saying this achievement has greatly stirred the patriotism of the public. Meanwhile, the successful hosting of the Ninth Informal Leaders Meeting of the APEC further enhanced China's international status and influence, it said.

This year, China has also made progress in all sectors as well as in the plans to establish comprehensive control over public security and in the fight against corruption.

The entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) marks that China will participate in globalization on a wider and deeper scope, and the country's opening-up to the outside world will enter into a new stage.

In 2001, China witnessed the celebration of the 80th founding anniversary of the CPC, the publicity of Jiang's thinking on the Party's role and the convening of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee.

The meeting formed three basic conclusions on the international situation: peace and development will remain unchanged as the main theme of the time; the trend of pluralism in the world will remain unchanged; and China faces more opportunities than challenges in the world arena.

The meeting proposed a general outline for the economic work of 2002, calling for deepening the reform, expanding the opening, speeding up the economic restructuring, overhauling and regulating the market, and improving the quality and performance of economic growth, so as to boost the sustainable, rapid and healthy development of the national economy and overall advancement of society.

(People's Daily November 30, 2001)