China needs to stress economic restructuring while aiming at a higher growth, according to a report submitted Tuesday to the country's law makers.

The report was delivered by Zhang Ping, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planning agency, to the 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature.

"The country should continue to promote economic restructuring and change its growth mode while it strives to maintain a high growth rate," Zhang said in the report.

In the current economic situation, policy support was necessary to encourage firms to innovate, adjust their structure, and strengthen management, said Zhang.

"An acceleration in the transition of the country's growth mode and structural adjustments is directly linked to the country's ability to stand out amid increasingly fierce global competition, achieve sustainable development, and maintain social stability in the long run," said Zhang.

China would accelerate reforms in income distribution, pricing of resource products, fiscal and tax systems.

The government would also improve the evaluation of officials by putting more weight on performance in improving living standards and ensuring the quality of economic growth.

Zhang said in the report that the government would continue industrial restructuring and stimulus plans, and urge firms to innovate in key technologies, with a pledge of financial support.

The government would continue efforts to conserve energy and curb emissions and pollutants in the drive for the economic restructuring, said Zhang.

It would focus on narrowing the income gap between urban and rural residents and between western and eastern regions in a bid to expand domestic consumption, he said.

Consumer spending contributed 53.4 percent of the country's gross domestic product in the first half, up from 45.7 percent a year before, as the government shifted to expand domestic consumption to fuel the growth, said Zhang.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2009)