A resolution endorsing the outline of the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) and Premier Zhu Rongji's report on the outline was passed at the closing meeting of the annual NPC session.

The meeting, presided over by the executive chairman of the session and the presidium Li Peng, was attended by a total of 2,789 NPC deputies, including Chinese Party and State leaders Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing.

The five-year plan outline sets an annual growth rate of about 7 per cent for the country's national economy in the coming five years.

"Now that goals have been set and guiding principles and policies laid down, the most important thing to do is to implement them," said Li Peng, also chairman of the Ninth NPC Standing Committee, while addressing the closing meeting.

He called on departments at all levels to play a bigger role in providing guidance and solving existing problems for an all-round implementation of the blueprint.

The meeting also adopted resolutions on the national economic and social development plan for this year and the report on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan of last year, all presented by Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development Planning Commission.

It approved this year's central and local budgets and the report on the performance of central and local budgets from last year. These were delivered by Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng.

It also passed the report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presented by Li Peng.

The meeting also passed a decision on the revision of the Law on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures.

The amendment to the law removed provisions that require Sino-foreign joint ventures to report their production and operation plans to the authorities and abolished rules which oblige these firms to give priority to Chinese-made goods and raw materials when purchasing components for manufacturing.

It has also added provisions concerning labor protection, insurance and the arbitration of disputes after suggestions from NPC deputies.

Work reports from the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate were also approved at the meeting.

But the resolutions on the two reports urged judicial departments to improve their professionalism and the standard of judges and prosecutors, stamp out judicial corruption and promote judicial reforms so as to create a favorable legal environment for the successful implementation of the 10th Five-Year Plan.

(Xinhua 03/16/2001)