China's per capita GDP is expected to be quadrupled by the year 2020 as against 2000, Hu Jintao said in his report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday.

But the rapid growth will be under the condition of reduced consumption of resources and greater efforts in environment protection, Hu said on behalf of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

"We will quadruple the per capita GDP of the year 2000 by 2020 through optimizing the economic structure and improving economic returns while reducing consumption of resources and protecting the environment," he said.

This goal is much higher than the target set by the CPC five years ago at the 16th National Congress which was to quadruple the GDP value, without the mention of per capita, by 2020, observers noted.

Five years ago, the 16th CPC National Congress outlined the task to quadruple GDP of the year 2000 by 2020 through optimizing economic structure and improving efficiency.

China's GDP has kept growing at a speed of over 10 percent for four consecutive years and topped 20 trillion yuan (US$2.7 trillion) in 2006.

But the fast economic growth has been realized "at an excessively high cost of resources and the environment," Hu acknowledged.

Per capita GDP stood at US$2,042 in 2006, up US$339, or nearly 20 percent, over that of the previous year, according to He Chuanqi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The new goal is one of the major tasks Hu outlined in his report to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, which was put forward at the last CPC National Congress.

In addition to promoting balanced development to ensure sound and rapid economic growth, the new requirements for building a moderately prosperous society also include expanding socialist democracy and safeguarding the people's rights and interests as well as social equity and justice, enhancing the cultural and ethical quality of the whole nation, and promoting a conservation culture by basically forming an energy- and resource-efficient and environment-friendly structure of industries, pattern of growth and mode of consumption.

Concerning the requirement of improving the people's well-being, Hu said a basic system of social security will cover both urban and rural residents so that everyone is assured of basic living standards. A reasonable pattern of income distribution will be basically in place, with middle-income people making up the majority and absolute poverty basically eliminated. Everyone will have access to basic medical and health services.

Hu forecast the prospects by the year 2020 that China will have basically accomplished industrialization, with its overall national strength significantly increased and its domestic market ranking as one of the largest in the world.

It will also be a country where people are better off and enjoy markedly improved quality of life and a good environment. The people will have more extensive democratic rights, show higher ethical standards and look forward to greater cultural achievements.

By the time, China will have better institutions in all areas and Chinese society will have greater vitality coupled with stability and unity. The country will be still more open and friendly to the outside world and make greater contributions to human civilization.

In the following five years, which is "a crucial period" for attaining the goal, Hu called upon the Party to work hard to lay a more solid foundation in building a moderately prosperous society of a higher level in all respects to the benefit of over one billion people.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)