Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said in Beijing Friday that he has "basically fulfilled" his promises he made at the press conference right after he was elected premier four years ago.
He was satisfied with the rapid development of the Chinese economy, which grew 7.8 percent, slightly short of the 8-percent target in 1998 when China was hit by unparalleled floods and the impact of the Asian financial crisis, Zhu said during his meeting with the press covering the just-concluded annual session of the National People's Congress.
He said that he fulfilled the promises of making loss-making state-owned enterprises end losses and turn a profit in three years, overhauling the commercial banking system to bring the proportion of non-performing loans down by three percentage points, and downsizing the government by half.
Zhu said that reforms of the systems of grain distribution, investment and financing, housing, medical care and taxation have basically been completed or are under way, adding he was satisfied with the reform process.
He said with pride that his government has lived up to its promises to the people and the National People's Congress and that is why his government work report has been adopted with overwhelming majority votes at every annual session of the National People's Congress.
(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2002)
