Chinese expect much from central govt

BEIJING - People around the world are keeping their eyes open as new leading officials of China's State Council, will take office in March.

The first annual session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), which is scheduled to begin on March 5, will decide the premier and vice-premiers of the State Council, as well as state councilors and ministers for government departments.

Analysts believe that members of the new central government will be younger, knowledgeable and rich in practical working experience.

It is believed that they will be skilled at tackling all kinds of complicated issues, well aware of pushing forward reform and opening up, and capable of thinking internationally.

In the coming five years, the new central government will continue to commit itself to solving multiple contradictions and problems in China, the world's largest developing country.

It will introduce and implement institutions, policies and measures for the formation of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) proposed the concept of "a period of strategic opportunities" ahead of its 16th National Congress in November 2002.

The Party then believed that the first one to two decades in the 21st century would be an important period of strategic opportunities, and the country should seize and make the best of it.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has entered a new stage of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way and speeding up socialist modernization.

Despite profound changes that have taken place in and outside China over the past decade, China remains in an important period of strategic opportunities, according to a report delivered at the opening of the 18th CPC National Congress last November.

Such a judgment is the basis for forecasting the personnel layout and reforming measures of the new Chinese government.

China's development in the past 30-plus years has proved that reform in itself is the biggest opportunity.

The incumbent State Council members were decided in March 2008 during the first annual session of the 11th NPC.

With the candidates nominated by President Hu Jintao, the session elected, via voting, Wen Jiabao as the premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Wen has served as China's premier for 10 consecutive years.

"The incumbent government has scored tremendous achievements in promoting economic growth and improving people's livelihood," Chi Fulin, president of China (Hainan) Institute for Reform and Development, said.