Chinese Leaders, Lawmakers Discuss Gov't Work Report

( 2012-March-8 11:21:20)

Chinese President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders on Wednesday joined lawmakers in panel discussions of the government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao.

When talking to deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) from the southwestern province of Yunnan, Hu called for the province's further development by taking advantage of the country's greater efforts in implementing the Strategy to Develop Western China, as well as building the province into a bridgehead for China's opening-up southwestward.

Hu said drought relief and securing people's livelihoods must be the focus of the province's work at present, adding that the impact of the disaster should be limited as much as possible.

Since December 2011, persistent drought in Yunnan has left 3.19 million local people and 1.58 million livestock short of drinking water, according to the provincial government.

Hu also urged lawmakers from Yunnan to promote unity among ethnic groups in a bid to achieve mutual prosperity.

While joining a panel discussion with the NPC delegation from eastern China's Zhejiang province, top legislator Wu Bangguo urged the province to take the lead in transforming its pattern of development and boost the driving force for economic growth.

Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, also stressed improving the legislature and policies supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, including cutting taxes, promoting financing institutions and relaxing restrictions on market access.

In panel discussion with lawmakers from Tianjin municipality, Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged the complexities and difficulties confronting China as it has entered a key stage of reform.

"Tianjin Binhai New Area should put its advantages into full play and serves as a new bellwether of reform and opening-up," Wen said, referring to the state-level economic development zone.

While deliberating on the government report with the NPC delegation from Taiwan, top political advisor Jia Qinglin said cross-Strait relations have been advanced steadily over the past year.

Jia urged deputies to further promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations under the new situation, cement the political basis underlying cross-Strait relations, and deepen cross-Strait cooperation in various fields so as to create conducive conditions for the peaceful reunification of the mainland and Taiwan.

At a panel discussion with NPC deputies from north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged the region to upgrade its resource industries and meanwhile boost the non-resource industries and strategic fledgling industries to push forward its economic transformation drive.

Li also urged the region to further reform its cultural system.

Vice President Xi Jinping joined deputies from Shandong province in deliberating on the government work report, stressing the importance of Shandong transforming its development mode and restructuring its economy.

Xi said Shandong needs to turn itself into one of the country's economic power hubs.

Xi also called for officials in Shandong to actively improve people's living standards and let more people benefit from the fruits of the country's reform and development.

While discussing with the delegation from Hubei province, Vice Premier Li Keqiang said he hoped Hubei will accelerate development of the central regions and contribute to the country's overall development.

Li urged Hubei to explore a path to coordinate industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, calling for officials in the province to render more efforts to alleviate poverty, improve social security and support the development of revolutionary base areas and ethnic minority areas.

Li said assistance must be offered to people relocated from areas to build the Danjiangkou Reservoir for the south-to-north water diversion project.

Joining a panel discussion with the Guangdong delegation, He Guoqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said he appreciated Guangdong's achievements in recent years.

He stressed upholding the Party's basic line and focusing on economic construction to provide a foundation for the prosperity and stability of both the Party and the country.

He also said he hoped the province would continue to stand at the forefront of China's scientific development, reform and opening up.

While deliberating on the government work report with lawmakers from Jiangxi province, Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said Jiangxi has seen a good beginning in the country's 12th Five-Year Plan(2011-2015) period.

Zhou urged people in Jiangxi to fully grasp the theme of "making progress while maintaining stability" to stabilize growth while accelerating the transformation of the development pattern.

The province needs to stimulate consumer demand and improve living standards in old revolutionary base areas, promote innovation in social administration and maintain social stability, according to Zhou.

 

Source: Xinhua