Big tasks lie ahead for China

Beijing - China has been saddled with rarely-seen domestic challenges to its social and economic progress, said a top government official on Monday.

"Our population is 300 million more than the total population of the 60 richest countries in the world," said Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

"This shows how challenging it is for us to achieve common prosperity," Li told the opening of the China-Europe High-level Political Parties Forum attended by more than 50 European party leaders.