China's cabinet to solicit opinions on gov't report

BEIJING - The State Council, or China's cabinet, will send a draft version of a government work report for 2013 to multiple central and provincial-level government departments to solicit their opinions.

According to a statement released Wednesday after a plenary meeting of the council, a symposium will also be held to collect opinions on the report from non-communist party members, experts, scholars, enterprise leaders and regular citizen

Premier Wen Jiabao, who presided over the meeting, highlighted achievements made in accordance with previous promises in a government work report for 2012.

Wen cited public finance expenditures on education rising to four percent of the country's GDP last year for the first time, as well as full coverage of urban and rural basic pension programs and a series of favorable policies to encourage and guide private investment.

According to Wen, giving priority to stabilizing economic growth amid last year's global downturn, the Chinese government managed to maintain a relatively steady expansion, stabilize prices and boost employment by adjusting fiscal expenditures and adopting various measures such as structural tax reduction.

China's economic growth quickened to 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, ending a seven-quarter slowdown after the government cautiously eased its monetary policy and fast-tracked investment projects.

Wen also acknowledged huge efforts made in reforms targeting a system for the expropriation and compensation of collectively owned land in rural areas as well as the income distribution system.

Wen hailed governments at all levels for exploring effective measures to strengthen their sense of responsibilities, the service function, abidance by the law and an uncorrupt work style.

Wen called for continued reforms on the operation, management and functions of government departments in order to build a service-oriented and satisfying government.

The 2013 report will be submitted to the first annual session of the 12th National People's Congress for deliberation, the statement said.