The Chinese government is striving to strengthen its administrative capability to beef up central policy enforcement and achieve the targets set in the 11th Five-Year Guidelines for economic and social development.

Premier Wen Jiabao said in his government work report at the national legislature on March 5 that "we will establish a sound administrative accountability system, improve the government's ability to perform its duties and strengthen public trust."

"This term of government has realized the vital importance of administrative ability in successfully pushing forward reform and economic construction," Sun Zhaoxue, vice president of China Aluminum Co., Ltd., said during the current session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC).

"A well-functioning administrative mechanism directly concerns the enforcement of the policies worked out by the central government," the NPC deputy said.

Analysts pointed out that it is natural for China, one of the fastest growing economies of the world, to recognize that the importance of administrative capability is pivotal to the country's sustainable development.

Despite the fact that the central government has issued a series of laws and regulations about environmental protection, many polluted rivers, smoking chimneys and heaps of stinking trash can be seen in many areas.

"Writing administrative ability into the government work report helps make government reform more rational," said Wang Quanjie, an NPC deputy from east China's Shandong Province.

"The government used to pay much attention to enacting policies and plans but sometimes ignore their effective implementation," Wang said, noting that "implementation is the crucial matter."

China has proposed many big objectives for reform and development in the government work report and the 11th Five-Year Guidelines. Their realization depends on a strong implementation mechanism of the governments at central and local levels, Wang said.

In fact, the Chinese government has, since January this year, issued a series of policies and regulations which carry a strong message to step up its administrative ability and policy implementation efficiency.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2006)