China's national legislature, the NPC, opened its annual session Monday in Beijing. Apart from the reviewing of reports including a government work report, NPC deputies will deliberate on a draft revision to China's Constitution, a draft supervision law, and a reform plan for State Council institutions. The deputies will also elect and decide on members of state organs.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers the government work report at the meeting.
The following are the highlights of the government work report.
Over the past five years, China’s gross domestic product has risen from 54 trillion to 82.7 trillion yuan, registering average annual growth of 7.1 percent.
More than 68 million people have been lifted out of poverty.
Tourist departures have grown from 83 million to over 130 million.
Both energy and water consumption per unit of GDP have fallen more than 20 percent, the release of major pollutants has been consistently declining, and the number of days of heavy air pollution in key cities has fallen 50 percent.
Personal income has increased by an annual average of 7.4 percent, outpacing economic growth and creating the world' s largest middle-income group.
More than 66 million new urban jobs have been added, and the country, with its population of over 1.3 billion, has achieved relatively full employment.
China has set its GDP growth target at around 6.5 percent for 2018, unchanged from that for 2017, according to a government work report delivered on Monday.
Given China's economic fundamentals and capacity for job creation, GDP growth of around 6.5 percent will enable China to achieve relatively full employment, according to the report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday morning at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
China aims to maintain inflation level at around 3 percent and create over 11 million new urban jobs. The surveyed urban unemployment rate is projected to stay within 5.5 percent, the registered urban jobless rate within 4.5 percent, the report showed.
The above targets take into consideration the need to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and are fitting given the fact that China's economy is transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, the report said.
The Chinese economy outperformed its annual growth target by expanding 6.9 percent last year, picking up for the first time in seven years.
Today, China's material and technological foundations are much stronger; its industrial system is complete, its market is vast, its human resources are abundant, and its entrepreneurs and innovators are dynamic, the report pointed out.
"We enjoy composite advantages, and all this means that we have the ability and the conditions to achieve higher quality, more efficient, fairer, and more sustainable development," the report added.
This year's session is expected to last until March 20.
(Source:Jiangsu International Channel)
