Premier Meets International Guests for Forum

Premier Zhu Rongji said Monday that China pays great attention to the suggestions raised by foreign participants attending a China development forum which closed earlier Monday.

Zhu said at a meeting with scores of overseas participants attending the two-day 2001 annual meeting of China Development Forum that China will step up its effort to restructure government functions to meet the challenges of a globalized economy.

He stressed China has taken into consideration all the uncertain factors in making the target of this year's economic growth. He said he is confident that the target will be reached.

Zhu discussed the world economic situation with Sir John Bond, chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Holdings, Lawrence Summers, former U.S. secretary of treasury, and a few others.

The theme of the two-day meeting, sponsored by the Development Research Center of the State Council, is "the role of government in a rapidly globalizing economy."

Attending the meeting are more than 100 participants, including officials from relevant departments of the State Council, leaders of domestic companies and some multinationals, representatives from international and non-governmental organizations, and Chinese and overseas scholars.

(People's Daily 03/27/2001)