China issues guidelines on implementing 13th five-year plan

BEIJING -- The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have issued guidelines on the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) for economic and social development.

The guidelines urged appropriate handling of the relationship between the government and the market, mobilizing the enthusiasm of both central and local governments, coordinating priorities with overall development and strengthening the leading and restrictive role of the plan during the period.

Relevant departments should be clear about their own targets and tasks, leaders' responsibilities should be stressed, coordination be strengthened and social organizations' role highlighted.

While implementing the plan, priorities should be set on major obligatory targets, which should be broken down and allocated to local governments before October 2016.

The guidelines also required accelerated implementation of major projects and launching of major reform policies.

The 25 key indicators of the plan should be included in the national economic planner's annual plan index system, and sub-plans and regional plans should be issued and implemented before the end of this year.

A spatial planning system should be established in order to promote the appropriate developing and efficient use of land space.

To this end, good public opinion, dynamic market environment and the rule of law should be guaranteed, according to the guidelines. Dynamic monitoring, annual and middle-term evaluations as well as flexible adjustment mechanism should be introduced.

Supervision from the National People's Congress and the public, among others, will be enhanced, said the guidelines.