China targets an eight-percent GDP growth this year on the basis of energy conservation and emission reduction, Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday.

"On the basis of improving the economic structure, productivity, energy efficiency and environmental protection, the GDP should grow by about eight percent," Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening here on Wednesday.

This is the fourth year China has set its GDP growth target at 8 percent, against the backdrop of five consecutive years of double-digit growth.

Last year, China reported a 11.4-percent of GDP growth, a record high since 1995.

"Our goal is to maintain both steady and fast economic growth, and guide all sectors of society to concentrate on changing the pattern of development, deepening reform and accelerating social development," Wen said.

Different regions should not just seek faster growth or compete with each other to have the highest growth rate, he said. "We should promote both sound and fast economic and social development."

NPC deputy Mao Weiming said the 8-percent growth target showed the government had taken into consideration of various domestic and international factors, including the risks of overheating.

"It will guide the transformation of the economic growth mode, and sound and fast economic and social development," said Wei Wei, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

China's economy grew by 65.5 percent over the past five years, or an average annual increase of 10.6 percent, to become the fourth largest economy in the world.

In the meantime, the country also reported success in reducing energy consumption and cutting emission.

Last year, China reported a 3.27 percent year-on-year drop in energy consumption for each 10,000 yuan of GDP.

Meanwhile, for the first time in recent years, the country reported a reduction in both chemical oxygen demand and the total emission of sulfur dioxide, by 3.14 percent and 4.66 percent respectively from the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2008)