A preliminary government work report designed to solicit opinions was heatedly discussed by participants of the fifth plenary meeting of the State Council in Beijing Friday.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, decided to distribute the report to government departments and all provincial governments and to ask for comments.

The report will be submitted to the third session of the 10th National People's Congress, which will be convened early this March.

Wen delivered a speech at the meeting, saying that the Chinese people made great achievements in the reform and opening-up drive last year, under the guidance of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.

"But we should keep clear-headed to existing social and economic problems and further improve the government's work, on the basis of the precious experience we gained last year," he added.

Wen said the year 2005 was an important year for consolidating the results of economic marco-control, maintaining the forward momentum of economic and social development and creating favorable conditions for the implementation of the country's eleventh five-year plan.

Wen instructed governments at all levels to intensify efforts in seven sectors during the first quarter of 2005.

The most important job, he said, is to fully implement the No. 1 Document issued by the CPC Central Committee in early 2005 in a bid to further boost farmers' enthusiasms for grain planting.

Other important jobs include continuing to curb fixed assets investment, alleviating energy strain, expanding foreign trade and strengthening and supervision of the financial system.

Wen also asked governments at all levels to give special care to poor urban and rural citizens and residents living in disaster-affected areas.

He demanded more vigorous effort to help migrant workers retrieve defaulted salaries and urged government departments to maintain prices at a stable level.

Wen asked officials to pay great attention to work safety, saying that coal mine explosions should be resolutely curbed.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2005)