China's parliament started its annual full session Monday
morning with Premier Wen Jiabao announcing a series of measures to
promote social harmony.
"Social harmony and stability as well as a better life are the
aspiration of all the people and an important goal for the work of
the government," Wen said, when delivering a work report to 2,890
lawmakers present at the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's
Congress (NPC).
In his 36-page report, Wen extolled the government's "great
achievements" in 2006, but also admitted that "a number of serious
problems affecting the people's interests have not been properly
addressed" and that "life remains difficult for many low-income
citizens."
China's rapid economic growth has brought nearly 200 million
people out of poverty over the past two decades, but the unbalanced
development has also left millions of the poor struggling in agony
with rising educational, medical and housing costs.
Wen promised in his report that the government will invest
heavily this year to address problems concerning people's daily
lives, especially in the rural areas.
"This year, we will completely stop collecting tuition and
miscellaneous fees from all rural students receiving compulsory
education," Wen announced, adding that the policy will ease the
financial burden of 150 million rural families with children
attending primary or middle schools.
Wen also announced an ambitious plan to set up "a nationwide
basic minimum cost of living allowance system" for the rural
residents, who traditionally had no access to social security
coverage.
"This is another major measure in the work to resolve issues
related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers and build a
harmonious society," he said.
Other major spending plans include a 201.9 billion yuan
investment from the central government to improve the social
security network, and a 10.1 billion yuan subsidy from the central
budget to expand the coverage of a cooperative medicare system to
80 percent of China's rural areas.
The premier's announcements have won the hearts of the
lawmakers, who repeatedly applauded throughout Wen's speech.
"It's the government's responsibility to serve the people and
address their concerns. We'll see how the government implements its
promises to achieve social harmony," NPC deputy Kang Fengying told
Xinhua outside the meeting hall.
Against the backdrop of a host of social problems and conflicts,
the ruling Communist Party of China has in recent years brought up
the concept of "social harmony.”
Chinese leaders have stressed on many occasions that to build a
"harmonious socialist society," which features "democracy, a rule
of law, equity, sincerity, fraternity, vitality, stability and the
harmony of humans and nature," is a historic task for the
country.
In response to the mounting public complaints about a widening
wealth gap, Wen promised on Monday that the government will take
measures to increase people's incomes, especially those with low
and middle incomes.
Official statistics show that urban residents' annual average
income is three times that of the rural residents. The former
reached 11,759 yuan in 2006, while the latter stood at a mere 3,587
yuan.
In a draft report delivered to the lawmakers on Monday, the
State Development and Reform Commission said it will "appropriately
raise the labor share in the primary distribution of income" and
"further standardize income distribution in state-owned enterprises
and institutions, especially in monopoly industries."
The Chinese top economic planning group also said that it will
improve tax collection and management and raise taxes for high-
income earners.
"China is suffering the heavy burden left over by the planned
economy and all those problems concern social harmony and
stability," said Li Dun, a professor with the Research Center on
Contemporary China under the Tsinghua University.
"Those goals (outlined by Premier Wen) cannot be easily achieved
by solely depending on the central government. More public
participation and supervision are needed. Government accountability
should also be heightened," Li said.
Outlining the government's major tasks in 2007, the last year of
its five-year term, Wen said the government expects to keep the
economy growth at about eight percent, based on structural
improvement, reduced consumption of energy, and better
environmental protection.
Last year, China failed to reach its pollution control targets,
and experts attributed the failure to a faster-than-expected 10.7
percent GDP growth and higher energy consumption.
Listing a series of measures to cut energy consumption, Wen
promised to the lawmakers that the government will make greater
efforts in energy saving, environmental protection, and the
protection of arable land so as to change the country's economic
growth pattern.
In his six-part report, the premier also briefed the lawmakers
about the government's plan on economic and financial reforms and
measures to improve governance.
Monday's session was chaired by chairman of the NPC Standing
Committee Wu Bangguo.
Top Party and state leaders Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin,
Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan
were present when the session opened at 9:00?AM Beijing
time.
Also tabled to the lawmakers on Monday were reports on the
implementation of the 2006 plan for national economic and social
development and on the 2007 draft plan for national economic and
social development, and a report on the central and local
budgets.
During the 11.5-day meeting, NPC deputies will also deliberate
on two major law drafts -- a draft property law which grants equal
protection to public and private properties, and the draft of a
unified corporate tax law which levies equal taxation for domestic
and overseas-funded companies.
Highlights of Premier Wen's Government Work
Report
(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2007)
