People's Daily, the mouthpiece of ruling Communist Party
of China (CPC), is running an editorial on Thursday urging Chinese
to make concerted efforts to put "quality" first while seeking
economic development next year.
The article comes after an annual high-profile economic
conference closed on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting decided to
adopt a tight rather than prudent monetary policy while identifying
the primary tasks facing the Chinese economy in 2008 and in
preventing an across-the-board inflation and overheating.
"The central economic conference is of crucial importance in
unifying thinking and uniting Chinese of all ethnic groups to
continue emancipating their mind, sticking to reform and opening-up
policies, advancing scientific development and in promoting social
harmony," it said.
Describing the year's economic achievement as "heartening", the
article reiterated the special significance of economic work to
2008 as the country would usher in the 30th anniversary of its
opening-up and economic reform and host the Beijing Olympics.
Next year would also be the first for China to implement the
strategies set by the 17th CPC National Congress in October where
new Communist leadership was selected, it noted.
The newspaper said Chinese economic development should be
centered upon a shift in economic growth from speed to quality,
optimization of a market economy system, strengthening of
macro-economic control, deepening reforms and opening-up policies,
advancing technical innovation, and in improving people's
livelihood and energy and environmental conservation.
To achieve the goals, the article maintained the country must
strive to coordinate growth in consumption, investment and exports,
balance the quantity and quality of economic expansion, secure a
harmony among population, resources and environment, and to
properly tackle the issues of reform, development and
stability.
The newspaper reemphasized the strategies mapped out by the
meeting. These included consolidating the fundamental role of
agriculture for economic expansion to secure grain crop supply and
in enriching rural China, making enterprises at the core of
technical innovation to enhance national competence and to curb
energy and resource consumption and putting people first.
"A lot of big and happy events are to happen next year.
Maintaining good momentum in economic expansion while improving the
public's livelihood and securing social harmony is very crucial,"
the article said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2007)
