China's top political advisors voiced their views on economic development of the country on Wednesday at the ongoing annual session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Vice-Premier Wu Yi were present at the plenum of the top advisory body.

The country should create a favorable environment of law and policy to encourage the development of economic cooperatives of farmers to shore up the drive of building a new countryside, said Chen Yaobang, vice-chairman of the advisory body's Committee of Economy.

To build "a new socialist countryside" was listed on the top agenda of the country's five-year plan of national economic and social development for the 2006-2010 period.

The draft plan was submitted to the annual full session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), which opened on Sunday, for examination and approval.

The blueprint is also under discussion of the CPPCC National Committee members, who are expected to give their opinions.

The advisory body's session opened two days ahead of the NPC's.

Impoverished areas should be given top priority in the new countryside drive, said Li Yonghai, an advisor from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Xiao Zhuoji, a professor of economy at Peking University, said the government should increase financial input into the rural areas and improve infrastructure there.

Education in the rural areas plays a key role in the development of the countryside and should be regarded as a long- term cause in rural development, said the professor.

Chen Changzhi, a CPPCC National Committee member who is from the China Democratic National Construction Association, proposed to deepen the reform of the country's financial system and strengthen the management over financial expenditure.

The country should set up an effective mechanism of supervision over governmental budget to avoid the government's non-budgeted income and expenditure, said Chen Shouyi, a member from eastern Zhejiang Province.

Lu Zhiqiang, who represents the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment of the advisory body, proposed that the government should make a long-term plan of the development of circular economy.

Both the government and the market should play their due role to boost healthy and sustainable development of circular economy, Lu said.

Liu Yingxia, an entrepreneur from northeastern Heilongjiang Province, said the country should encourage private investment to enter the traditionally monopolized industries by public sectors.

Liu and another CPPCC National Committee member Zhang Zhilong pointed out the country needs to create favorable legal, policy and market environments for private economy's healthy development.

The current session of the Tenth CPPCC National Committee session is expected to last to March 13.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2006)