China confident of economic growth
Print Edition
CHINA is confident of achieving medium to high-speed economic growth this year on the back of sound economic fundamentals and the country’s reform campaign, a spokesman said yesterday.
“Viewed against the backdrop of the performance of international economies, China’s 6.9 percent growth in 2015 is outstanding, and the Chinese economy is expanding with good quality,” said Wang Guoqing, spokesman for the fourth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. He was speaking at a press conference ahead of the annual session which begins today.
Wang said China is confident of achieving solid growth despite a complex global situation.
“The fundamentals of China’s economy remain sound. It is resilient, full of potential and has ample wiggle room. The economic data in January showed positive signs,” he said.
China has embarked on a journey of economic re-balancing, trying to ditch its over-reliance on manufacturing and wasteful investment in favor of domestic consumption and services.
“China is seeing good momentum in its structural reforms,” Wang said.
The CPPCC has been considering how to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship and improve financial services, and will make suggestions to the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature.
Overcapacity
Wang also told reporters that the appearance of laid-off workers amid efforts to cut overcapacity won’t affect people’s hope for more children.
He had been asked if the job losses resulting from China’s shift from manufacturing were in conflict with the prospect of more children. Wang said such job losses are “temporary” and the relaxation of one-child policy is “a carefully made decision.”
China will work to ensure its population grows in an orderly way, he said.
Since it abandoned the one-child policy at the beginning of the year, China has allowed all couples to have two children. As China becomes an aging society, worries of insufficient labor force have been on the rise.
The world’s second largest economy is trying to revitalize its industrial sector through squeezing out redundant workers.
According to preliminary forecasts, the coal and steel sectors will see a total of 1.8 million laid-off workers.
To cushion the effect of job losses on families and society, the central government is to allocate 100 billion yuan (US$15.4 billion) over two years to help workers find new jobs.
Acknowledging a number of resignations from government agencies, state-owned enterprises and public institutions, Wang denied there had been an upsurge in departures.
The flow of talent should be applauded as it is in line with the Party’s intention of facilitating greater utilization of human resources, and it also shows that China’s “wise minds” are increasingly attracted to entrepreneurship and innovation.
On the other hand, public service employers should pay attention to creating a more desirable environment to keep employees, he said.
Environment
Turning to environmental concerns, Wang criticized some factories for breaking environment rules and called for green efforts from government and the public.
While the country is fighting air pollution, the industrial sector should follow eco-friendly principles, Wang said.
He denounced some companies for deactivating pollution controls to cut costs and evading supervision to discharge pollutants.
“Such barbarian acts must be stopped,” he said.
He called on the government to adopt a green development pattern and for the public to choose eco-friendly lifestyles so the country can better cope with air pollution.
Acknowledging progress made by the government to clean the air, Wang conceded that more should be done.
HK violence
The press conference also heard him denounce “mob violence” in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok during the Lunar New Year holidays last month.
“We firmly oppose illegal and even violent actions taken by a small number of people to mess things up in Hong Kong and sabotage cooperation and exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong,” Wang said.
About 300 people took part in the riot in the early hours of February 9, following attempts to remove illegal hawkers from the busy commercial area.
Describing Hong Kong as an “open and diversified society,” Wang said it was perfectly normal for people with different backgrounds to hold different views on economic, political and social issues.
“But it is the common aspiration of all Hong Kong citizens and in the fundamental interests of the city to seek development, stability and harmony,” he said.
Hong Kong’s long-term stability and prosperity is an overarching mission of the “one country, two systems” principle, and an important part of the Chinese dream, he said.
He urged political advisers from Hong Kong and Macau, another Chinese special administrative region ruled under the “one country, two systems” principle, to play their part in its implementation.
He said China’s 13th Five-year Plan, to be reviewed at the parliamentary session, would be “good news” for both.
The leadership placed great importance on and had high expectations for the role of Hong Kong and Macau while planning the comprehensive development of China, Wang said the national plan for the years between 2016 and 2020 will consider the needs of people in both places.
Proposals put forward last year at a key meeting of the Party’s Central Committee made clear that Hong Kong and Macau should play unique roles in economic growth and opening up of the whole country, he said.
South China Sea
Rejecting suggestions that China was “militarizing” the South China Sea, Wang said he supported remarks on the issue by the foreign affairs and defense ministries.
The area “shall not be turned into an excuse or a tool by certain countries to contain China’s development,” he told reporters.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
