In what appears to be the country's largest call for input into the drafting of key development plans for the next five years, the government Monday said it welcomed all suggestions and propositions from the public in relation to national economic and social development.

"The formulation of the country's 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) has entered a crucial period and we have decided to initiate a campaign to encourage the whole country to offer advice or suggestions," Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development Planning Commission, told a news conference in Beijing.

The development programme, upon examination and approval by the National People's Congress early next year, will become a common plan for the whole nation for the first five years of the new millennium, according to Zeng.

The formulation and implementation of such a vital plan - regarded as the country's first in a market economy - should be built on the grounds that enterprises and individuals have fully understood and involved themselves in the drafting process, and are familiar with the country's general strategy and goals, he said.

Zeng's commission has already pieced together the opinions of senior economists, scientists and entrepreneurs on the key topics to be covered by the 10th Five-Year Plan, according to sources.

And it has arranged with some of the country's leading newspapers such as the Guangming Daily, the Economic Daily and the Workers' Daily to have a column in each dedicated to readers' remarks on the plan, Zeng said.

The public will also be able to offer their suggestions on special pages on the commission's website www.sdpc.gov.cn, the minister said.

In addition, they can send letters or emails directly to the commission. Foreigners who have valuable advice are also welcomed to share their ideas with the commission, he said.

(China Daily 10/24/2000)