Wu Bangguo (L, front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), delivers a township resident book to Zhang Zhiyong, a man who has just became an urban resident, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 8, 2011. Wu Bangguo paid an inspection visit to Chongqing in recent days. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
CHONGQING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo has urged local authorities to step up their efforts to accelerate the country's transformation of its economic development pattern over the next five years.
Wu made the remarks during his inspection tour of the southwest municipality of Chongqing from April 8 to 10.
During the inspection, Wu urged local officials in Chongqing to grasp opportunities created by the establishment of the Liangjiang New Area last June and grow the new area into a high-tech and innovative center and realize a leapfrog development of the local economy.
Wu stressed opening wider to the outside world and assisting in scientific and technological innovation to boost the economic restructuring and ensure "substantive progress" for the country's drive of transforming the economic growth mode.
When visiting a public rental housing community, Wu said he hoped Chongqing would continue improving ways to offer affordable housing to middle- and low-income groups.
Chongqing municipal government plans to build 40 million square meters of public rental houses for 700,000 households, or about 2 million people.
"We must have our priorities in guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods, invest more and coordinate resources from society to solve problems related to the gap between rich and poor by reforming the income distribution system," Wu said.
He praised the work that Chongqing municipal government has done and encouraged local officials to do even better and take the lead among China's western regions in the building a well-off society in an all-round way.
During his inspection in Chongqing, Wu also visited rural communities and Chongqing University.
Wu Bangguo (3rd L, front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), talks to the villagers in Hufengshan Village in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 9, 2011. Wu Bangguo paid an inspection visit to Chongqing in recent days. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)