People's Daily, the mouthpiece of ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), is running an editorial on Thursday urging Chinese to make concerted efforts to put "quality" first while seeking economic development next year.

The article comes after an annual high-profile economic conference closed on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting decided to adopt a tight rather than prudent monetary policy while identifying the primary tasks facing the Chinese economy in 2008 and in preventing an across-the-board inflation and overheating.

"The central economic conference is of crucial importance in unifying thinking and uniting Chinese of all ethnic groups to continue emancipating their mind, sticking to reform and opening-up policies, advancing scientific development and in promoting social harmony," it said.

Describing the year's economic achievement as "heartening", the article reiterated the special significance of economic work to 2008 as the country would usher in the 30th anniversary of its opening-up and economic reform and host the Beijing Olympics.

Next year would also be the first for China to implement the strategies set by the 17th CPC National Congress in October where new Communist leadership was selected, it noted.

The newspaper said Chinese economic development should be centered upon a shift in economic growth from speed to quality, optimization of a market economy system, strengthening of macro-economic control, deepening reforms and opening-up policies, advancing technical innovation, and in improving people's livelihood and energy and environmental conservation.

To achieve the goals, the article maintained the country must strive to coordinate growth in consumption, investment and exports, balance the quantity and quality of economic expansion, secure a harmony among population, resources and environment, and to properly tackle the issues of reform, development and stability.

The newspaper reemphasized the strategies mapped out by the meeting. These included consolidating the fundamental role of agriculture for economic expansion to secure grain crop supply and in enriching rural China, making enterprises at the core of technical innovation to enhance national competence and to curb energy and resource consumption and putting people first.

"A lot of big and happy events are to happen next year. Maintaining good momentum in economic expansion while improving the public's livelihood and securing social harmony is very crucial," the article said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2007)