President Hu urges united front

President Hu Jintao has asked all parties, organizations, social strata and ethnic groups to unite to overcome difficulties.

He said this during a discussion with members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Hu called on all Chinese people to stand together and “bravely move forward” during the global financial crisis.

He also asked political advisors to offer suggestions for China’s development.

Health Minister: Medical reforms for all

At the CPPCC session, Health Minister Chen Zhu said China aims to expand its medical insurance to cover all citizens and upgrade services through its new healthcare reform package.

The government will tighten control on medical fees in public hospitals and invest more in basic medical insurance and rural areas.

Chen said China will build another 5,000 medical clinics at the township level, 2,000 hospitals at the county level, and 2,400 urban community clinics in three years.

2 Sessions strive to save energy and resources

This year’s NPC and CPPCCsessions are the most environmentally friendly and thriftiest yet.

Delegates have been told to stay in hotels that are four-stars or lower, and given toiletry kits containing toothbrushes, hand towels and shampoo.

They were also asked to present their proposals in electronic format to avoid wasting paper.

Other measures in the conference center include using energy-saving lights, recyclable paper and pencils made of newspaper.

Premier Wen delivers NPC speech

Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a work report to the National People’s Congress, the country’s parliament on Thursday.

In it he said he believed China would be able to keep its economic growth at 8 percent despite the global economic turmoil.

Other key economic and social targets include creating 9 million jobs in cities, controlling the urban-registered unemployment rate at 4.6 percent, and keeping the rise of the consumer price index (CPI) at 4 percent.

Wen said the focus this year is for the government to sustain economic growth, improve people’s well-being and maintain stability.

Economic stimulus measures

In Premier Wen’s 35-page speech, he stressed dealing with the global financial crisis and promoting steady and rapid economic growth is “a high priority” for the government.

It will invest 908 billion yuan into projects to improve people’s lives. This includes low-income housing, education, healthcare, energy conservation, environmental protection, technological innovation and earthquake reconstruction.

China will also spend 293 billion yuan on social welfare, including pensions, medical insurance, unemployment insurance and living allowance to low-income groups.

To stimulate employment, the government will invest 42 billion yuan in small- and medium-sized enterprises and labor-intensive and service sectors.

The country will also allocate 716.1 billion yuan to maintain steady agricultural development and increase rural incomes for farmers.

Military budget will be boosted 14.9%

At the national people's congress, a spokesman announced China plans to increase its defense budget by 14.9 percent this year.

He said the amount is 480.7 billion yuan ($70 billion), up 62.4 billion yuan from last year, or 17.6 percent.

The increased spending is mainly to improve the living standards of servicemen, as well as buy more equipment and construct facilities; enhance the military’s emergency response capabilities in disaster relief; fight terrorism and maintain stability; and reconstruct military facilities damaged in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake last May in Sichuan.

The spokesman added the military is mainly for safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territory, and does not pose a threat to other countries.

Zhang to direct 60th anniversary celebrations

After successfully directing the ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics last year, Zhang Yimou promises another spectacle to celebrate the 60th anniversary of China’s founding on October 1 in Tiananmen Square.

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.