China will take measures to reduce the cost of economic growth
and narrow a yawning income gap, said Ma Kai, minister in charge of
the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), on
Wednesday.
China is committed to the targets for saving energy and reducing
pollutant emissions between 2006 and 2010, although it fell short
of such targets for 2006, Ma said at a press conference held on the
sidelines of the annual session of the National People 's Congress
(NPC).
The State Council will make annual reports on saving energy and
reducing emissions to the NPC starting this year, and report on the
overall progress made over the five years in the end, he said.
The top planning official also said China has taken a series of
measures to narrow the income gap while admitting it is still
yawning.
The country has been increasing investment in agriculture, rural
areas and farmers to narrow the gap between rural and urban
residents, and implementing the development strategy of west China
to narrow the gap between west and east, Ma said.
A system of basic cost of living allowances for low-income
people, set up to improve their living and working conditions, will
expand to all rural areas this year, Ma added.
In response to a question whether China will become a threat to
global energy security, the minister said China has met the energy
demand since 1978 mainly on its own, and is able to do so in the
future.
(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)