CHINA> Key Reports
Report on China's economic, social development plan [Full Text]
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-21 11:23

4) We will actively yet prudently carry out reform of prices for resource products, compensation fees for the exploitation and use of natural resources and environmental protection charges. We will gradually reform the mechanism for determining the prices of petroleum and natural gas and make the ratio of prices for natural gas to alternative energy sources more reasonable. Oversight and review of the cost of electricity transmission and distribution will be strengthened and the policy on the price of electricity generated from renewable energy sources will be improved. The central heating supply scheme in urban areas will be gradually reformed.

5) We will deepen reform of the investment system. The systems for approving and recording investment projects will be standardized and implemented. Rules for managing the contractor system for construction projects will be introduced. A system for assessing finished investment projects, a public notice system for major projects and an accountability system for decisions made on investment projects will be established.

6) We will continue implementing policy measures to encourage, support and guide development of the nonpublic sector of the economy and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. We will carry out the project to nurture small and medium-sized enterprises and support the development of a platform of public services for them, encourage regions where conditions permit to set up a credit guarantee system and regional reinsuring agencies for lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, and guide the healthy development of industrial clusters.

7) Reform of the administrative management system will be accelerated. We will proceed with reform of government bodies, continue to streamline and standardize procedures for administrative approval, improve the mechanism for interdepartmental coordination and cooperation and improve the system of government duties and responsibilities.

8) We will steadily proceed with the package of pilot reforms to promote comprehensive and sustainable development.

We will further improve the quality of openness.

1) Efforts to change the pattern of foreign trade growth will be accelerated. We will encourage exporting enterprises to rigorously abide by international quality, technical and environmental protection standards for production. We will support the export of products with Chinese intellectual property rights and trademarks, high and new technology products and energy-efficient, environmentally friendly products, raise the grade and added value of exported labor-intensive products and farm products, work hard to expand the export of services and strictly control the export of resource products and products whose manufacture is energy intensive and highly polluting. Import of energy and raw materials, advanced technology and equipment, and key components and parts will be encouraged. We will promote transformation and upgrading of the processing trade.

2) We will continue to actively and effectively utilize foreign capital. The newly revised Suggested List of Industries for Foreign Investment will be diligently implemented and the Suggested List of Industries That Can Take Advantage of Local Strengths in the Central and Western Regions for Foreign Investment will be improved to encourage foreign investment in the high-tech, equipment manufacturing and new materials industries, in the development of a circular economy, clean production, renewable energy sources and environmental protection, and in the central and western regions and old industrial bases including northeast China. We will continue to limit foreign investment in projects that will be energy intensive and highly polluting or produce resource products.

3) We will encourage and standardize overseas investment and cooperative ventures of enterprises. We will make innovations in the pattern of overseas investment and support enterprises in developing international R&D, production and sales operations. Mutually beneficial international cooperation in energy and resources will be actively promoted. We will follow a free trade zone strategy and work to strengthen bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation.

7. We will vigorously develop social programs and balance economic and social development.

1) Development of education remains a high priority. We will increase investment in education, make compulsory education free in both urban and rural areas, continue to reform the mechanism for ensuring adequate funding for rural compulsory education, increase public expenditures for rural compulsory education, provide free textbooks for all students in rural compulsory education programs, raise the level of living allowances for students from poor rural families living on campus and accelerate the project to renovate rural middle school buildings in the central and western regions. We will step up development of the infrastructure for vocational education and increase enrollment in secondary vocational schools. We will improve the structure of academic disciplines and specialties in colleges and universities, promote the development of high-level universities and key disciplines and implement the third phase of the 211 Project for Higher Education. We will improve polices for granting financial assistance to students from poor families at regular under graduate institutions, vocational colleges and secondary vocational schools. We will continue to provide free education to students majoring in education at normal universities directly under the Ministry of Education and extend the policy to other colleges and universities where conditions permit. We will improve and implement the system for teachers' wages, allowances and subsidies. We will support and standardize privately run schools to promote their sound development. Plans call for enrolling 5.99 million undergraduate students and 449,000 graduate students in regular institutions of higher learning in 2008, with the increase in undergraduate enrollment focused on the central and western regions.