China will convene the central economic conference shortly, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held in Beijing Friday.

But it did not specify the exact date when the meeting is to open, according to the meeting, presided by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"China will keep the macro-economic policy continuous and stable in the next year," said the meeting, which discussed the country's present economic situation and planned for next year's economic work. "China should enhance innovation capability and push forward the economic structure adjustment and economic growth mode transformation next year," the meeting noted.

"Building up the new socialist countryside should be given the priority, as well as expanding domestic demand and stepping up control on the fixed assets investment," according to the meeting.

The meeting further noted that the country should resolve the problems which the masses of people care most, and are most direct and most practical to them, and those problems include social security, coal mining safety and poverty reduction.

The meeting held that the stability of the economy has been enhanced during this year.

Meanwhile, the meeting underlined the urgency of deepening the reform of the cultural set-up and acceleration of promoting the cultural cause and cultural undertakings, acknowledging that China should advance the innovation concerning the cause of socialism, so as to meet the growing demand of its people.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2005)