CPC solicits opinions on economic work

BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has held a meeting to solicit opinions from non-communist persons on the country's economic work, according to a statement released on Monday.

While presiding over the meeting, which was held on Dec. 10, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the country's economic and social development, especially structural reform, would be arduous next year.

For the year ahead, China should focus on the development ideas featuring innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing, and the economy would continue to adapt to the new normal for growth.

The country should continue to reform and open up, stick to the general guideline of seeking progress while maintaining stability and promoting the improvement of productivity, Xi said.

Xi made the remarks after Premier Li Keqiang briefed attendees on China's economic situation and plans for next year's economic work, according to the statement.

Attendees included Wan E'xiang, chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Zhang Baowen, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League, and Li Daokui, an economist at Tsinghua University.

The group welcomed the CPC Central Committee's plans for next year's economic work and raised suggestions regarding deepening reforms, cutting enterprises' financing cost and boosting cross-Strait economic cooperation.

China's economy grew 6.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the weakest pace since the global financial crisis, prompting the central bank to cut interest rates six times in one year.

However, the latest macroeconomic indicators, including November's industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment, have suggested stabilization in the economy. The country is on track to meet the government's growth target of around 7 percent for 2015.