Premier Li opens NPC with strong first report

BEIJING-- The 12th National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliamentary body, opened its second annual session Wednesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang delivered his first government work report at the opening meeting.

Deepening reform, anti-corruption, fight against pollution, and streamlined administration are among key topics of Li's report to nearly 3,000 legislators.

  Key words        

Anti-corruption

The Chinese government will build a system for combating corruption and penalize crooked officials without mercy in accordance with the law. Li called on government at all levels to practice economy, eliminate waste, and tighten their belts in 2014. Read more...

Deepening reforms

Li pledged to make breakthroughs in reform in his first government work report. He reiterated that reform is the top priority for the government's work this year. Read more...

Market

Li reiterated the market's decisive role in allocating resources and a better role of the government.

Pollution

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang "declared war" against pollution on Wednesday and pledged to fight it with the same determination the country battled poverty, as choking smog has become major environmental and health concerns. Read more...

Administration

Reform-bound China will further its efforts in building a streamlined government administration by exempting more items from central government approval. Read more...

Urbanization

China will carry out a new type of people-centered urbanization that will grant rural people who live in cities more social welfare currently enjoyed by the city dwellers. Read more...

Private capital

Non-state capital will be allowed to participate in a number of projects in areas such as banking, oil, electricity, railway, telecommunications, resources development and public utilities. Read more...

Internet finance

China will promote the healthy development of its burgeoning Internet finance. Li promises to improve the mechanism for coordinating financial oversight and to keep a close watch on the cross-border flow of capital. This is the first time that Internet finance has been written into the government work report. Read more...

Debt risks

China will build a standard financing mechanism for local governments to issue bonds, its latest step to curb debt risks.To guard against and defuse debt risks, China will also implement a comprehensive government financial reporting system. Read more...

Peace

China pledged to hold high the banner of peace but also vowed to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and the post-war international order. Read more...

Marine rights

Premier Li has pledged that China will resolutely uphold its marine rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power. Read more...