Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is to deliver a government work report at the opening meeting of the annual full session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, scheduled to start in the Great Hall of the People at 9 a.m. Friday.
Following are the highlights of Wen's Report on the Work of the Government. The text of the report was distributed to the media prior to the opening of the NPC session:
MAJOR TARGETS for 2010
-- GDP will grow by about 8 percent;
-- Urban employment will increase by more than 9 million people;
-- Urban registered unemployment rate will be kept no higher than 4.6 percent;
-- Rise in the CPI will be held around 3 percent;
-- Balance of payments will be improved;
-- Sound development, and transforming the pattern of economic development will be emphasized.
DEFICIT
-- A deficit of 1.05 trillion yuan has been projected, which consists of 850 billion yuan in central government deficit and 200 billion yuan in local government bonds, which will be included in local government budgets.
LOANS
-- The total quantity of renminbi loans will be increased by approximately 7.5 trillion yuan.
EMPLOYMENT
-- The central government will allocate 43.3 billion yuan to stimulate employment;
-- Emphasis will be given to helping college graduates, rural migrant workers, people experiencing employment difficulty, and demobilized military personnel find jobs.
PROPERTY MARKET
-- The government will resolutely curb the precipitous rise of housing prices in some cities and satisfy people's basic need for housing;
-- The government will make greater efforts to deal with violations of laws and regulations such as keeping land unused, property hoarding, and price rigging.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
-- The central government will not only make the "pie" of social wealth bigger by developing the economy, but also distribute it well on the basis of a rational income distribution system.
AGRICULTURE
-- The central government will allocate 133.5 billion yuan for direct subsidies for farmers, a year-on-year increase of 6.04 billion yuan.
EDUCATION
-- Education reform will be advanced in the system for operating schools, curricula, teaching methods, and evaluation systems.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
-- China will make farsighted arrangements for basic research and research in cutting-edge technologies in the fields of biology, nanoscience, quantum control, information networks, climate change, aerospace and oceanography.
SOCIAL SAFETY NET
-- China will steadily move forward with the pilot program for a new old-age insurance system for rural residents by expanding it to 23 percent of the country's counties.
HEALTHCARE
-- China will raise government subsidies on basic medical insurance for non-working urban residents and on the new type of rural cooperative medical care system to 120 yuan per person per year, up 50 percent over last year, and appropriately increase rates for individual contributions.
FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
-- China will work hard to develop low-carbon technologies;
-- China will endeavor to build an industrial system and consumption pattern with low carbon emissions;
-- China will participate in international cooperation to address climate change and work for further progress in the global fight against climate change;
-- The energy-saving capacity will be increased by an equivalent of 80 million tonnes of standard coal.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
-- China will concentrate on making the army better able to win informationized local wars, and will enhance its ability to respond to multiple security threats and accomplish a diverse array of military tasks.
TIBET, XINJIANG
-- The central government will formulate and implement policies for economic and social development in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Tibetan ethnic areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces.
HONG KONG, MACAO
-- The central government will support Hong Kong in consolidating and elevating its position as an international financial, trade, and shipping center; developing industries with local advantages; and fostering new areas of economic growth;
-- The central government will support Macao in developing its tourism and leisure industry and appropriately diversifying its economy.
TAIWAN
-- The mainland will continue to adhere to the principle of developing cross-Straits relations and promoting peaceful reunification of the motherland, firmly embrace the theme of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and constantly create new conditions for it;
-- The mainland will encourage qualified enterprises to invest in Taiwan;
-- The mainland will promote a win-win situation, set up an economic cooperation mechanism that reflects the characteristics of both sides by negotiating and signing an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).