Premier Wen Jiabao pledged continued priority to "addressing issues concerning the immediate interests of the people" on Friday at a special Chinese Lunar New Year gathering.

"We will work to protect everyone's interests, protect the rights of honest laborers and legal businesses, pay attention to maintaining social equality, and strive to improve the working and living conditions of people in need," Wen said.

Wen added that efforts will be made to tackle unemployment, social security, poverty relief, education, medical care, housing, environment and security issues.

As the year 2006 is the first year of the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), it is imperative get it off to a good start, Wen acknowledged.

He said the nation will accelerate reform and opening up, step up innovation, and push forward the readjustment of economic structure and the shift of its growth mode.
 
To accomplish the lofty goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way, Wen noted, the most crucial thing is to emancipate and develop human resources.

"We'll bring out the best in people in terms of initiative and creativity and enable all fountains of social wealth to flow out freely," Wen added.

Other Chinese leaders including Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan also attended the gathering attended by 4,000 people from all walks of life, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Hu, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chaired the event and conveyed his festival greetings to all Chinese and his thanks to friends of China the world over on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2006)