The nation will strengthen its action to balance population, resources and environment in development, top leaders say.

President Hu Jintao said Wednesday that research on a population development strategy needs to be improved. Mid and long term population plans should be made and innovations in family planning be introduced, he said.

Hu said during a working conference on population, resources and the environment that environmental monitoring should be reinforced, pollution control be intensified in key river reaches and regions, and environmental and ecological protection in rural areas be given a boost.

For his part, Premier Wen Jiabao said at the Beijing conference that the low birth rate in China should be maintained and a system should be set up under which family planning among the country's migrant population should be managed according to where people live.

Wen said efforts should be made to clear up all sorts of development zones and prevent illegal crop land abuses. Those responsible for approving illegal land uses will be punished severely.

Turning to environmental protection, Wen said the focus will be on the economical use of resources and development of the circular economy, an economy based on the most efficient use of resources and the most effective protection of the environment.

Top officials also called for addressing the disparity in the proportion of men and women in the country. The country's average proportion between men and women is about 117:100.

Zhang Weiqing, minister of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, said closing up the gender gap will be a major goal of the country's population and family planning efforts.

Some media reports say if the current proportion in China continues, there will be between 30 million and 40 million men by 2020 who are of marriage age but cannot find a wife.

Such a high proportion is mainly caused by traditional ideas that gives priority to boys, the abuse of modern techniques and the lagging behind of the social security system in the country, Zhang said yesterday at a conference attended by provincial level population and family planning officials.

But others contend the proportion is not so high as some births of girls may not be officially counted.

Zhang said measures will be taken to fight illegal activities such as trafficking, harming and abandoning girl babies while cracking down on illegal identifications of babies' gender. A campaign on gender equality launched last year will be continued and expanded to more regions this year, Zhang said.

(China Daily March 11, 2004)