Liu Mingshan said, "This year is the first year of the 10th Five-Year Plan. The greatest aspiration of workers is that China's economy will be able to continue growing smoothly."

Liu, who had made investigations before coming to Beijing to attend the annual session of the CPPCC National Committee, said, "I think that while fostering and expanding high-tech industries, the state should use them to upgrade traditional industries and improve the equipment and technological standards of the latter."

He Zhukang, a renowned economist, said, "China ought to accelerate the economic structural adjustment during the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005). Its economic growth should shift from the speed-oriented type to the efficiency-oriented type."

Non-Communist members of the CPPCC National Committee have prepared proposals on the development of water resources, the training of farmers on how to pioneer new undertakings, increasing the intensity of financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises, and improving the export credit system.

Other non-Communist members will center their discussions on the strategy concerning the development of the western region, the strategy on professionals, the institutional restructuring at the town and county levels, issues related to education, the project to supply natural gas from western China to eastern China, and measures to increase farmers' incomes.

Speaking of the development of western China, Wei Dawei from southwestern China's Yunnan Province, said, "Province-level areas in western China need to open up their markets still wider, minimize monopoly and practice fair competition. In Particular, government departments must transform their functions, and pay equal attention to administration and services."

Ang Mao from northwest China's Qinghai Province said, "A series of policies and measures have been formulated in connection with the development of the western region. The crux of matter lies in implementing them."

He noted that in pursuing the strategy on the development of the western region, it is imperative to resolve the issue of education and improve residents'scientific and educational quality.

Mai Ciqiu from Yunnan Province, called attention to "biological security," noting that this is of universal significance to all province-level areas in western china.

He said that Yunnan must step up efforts to study, protect and develop biological resources. "Only this way will Yunnan be able to achieve sustainable development," he added.

On how to speed up the development of the non-state sector, Pan Guangtian and Zhang Yulin appealed to the government to provide a relaxed environment and equal terms for the growth of the non-state sector, so as to enable it to become a strong driving force behind China's economic growth.

Pan said frankly: "Now some government offices impose too many restrictions on private companies. I hope that this situation will change during the 10th Five-Year Plan period."

Zhang Yuanzhen and Fan Yuhu from east China's Jiangsu Province shared the view that using information to spur industrialization, Jiangsu must energetically expand the micro-electronic industry in the new century.

They are studying their proposal to be submitted to the current session on establishing a micro-electronic corridor in the cities of Wuxi and Suzhou in Jiangsu.

(People’s Daily 03/03/2001)