Focus on public welfare

The practice of publishing the main tasks of the State Council has established itself as an annual routine since 2003, when Wen Jiabao assumed the premiership.

Very much like its five precedents, the 2008 document, passed last week and released days afterward, features a natural extension of the main thread that has distinguished the central leadership. That is the consistent focus on public welfare.

The 2008 and 2007 outlines are quite alike in both structure and content, except for the additional weight placed on anti-inflation. It is good all the well-received policies are being carried forward. This nation wants continuity more than anything else when it comes to policies.