The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting Monday to discuss next year's economic work and the issue of fostering skilled people, presided over by General Secretary Hu Jintao.

The participants hailed the country's achievements this year in the reform, opening and modernization drives, despite the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the occurrence of various natural disasters. These achievements have laid a good foundation for development next year, they held.

China has sound conditions for achieving a relatively rapid economic development, according to the meeting. The participants called for cultivating a scientific concept of development, which should be comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable. They also called for deepening reforms in all fields, rectifying the market order, pushing forward the restructuring of industries and the coordinated development of regional economies, and speeding up the development of science, technology, education and public health undertakings.

The state will continue to implement the proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, and make timely and proper adjustments in policy priorities to ensure steady economic growth, they said.

The meeting urged people to be cool-headed amid the present sound economic situation. It listed a number of existing problems, such as the slow increase in the income of farmers, the increasing employment pressure, and reckless investment in some industries.

The participants also called for the implementation of the strategy of developing the nation by fostering more skilled people. China needs tens of millions of high-quality workers and specialists, it said.

The meeting decided to hold a central working conference on the economy and a national conference on the issue of fostering skilled personnel in the near future.
?

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)