Government Drafting New Blueprint for 2001-05

The draft of China's 10th Five-Year Plan, the most influential national blueprint guiding the country's social and economic development during 2001-05, will be formulated by March 2001, a senior official said in Beijing.

It will have major differences from the previous nine five-year plans and will concern China's development in the very beginning of the 21st century, said Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development Planning Commission.

Speaking at a teleconference held by the commission, Zeng said the principle of the plan will be formed by the end of 1999 and the draft's framework will be completed by September 2000. The draft will then be submitted to the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Overall planning in specific industrial sectors and regions will also be made. Provincial, regional and municipal governments will decide the timing of their planning according to the central government's arrangements as well as local conditions, he said.

Zeng said six principles would be observed in drafting the plan:

1¡¢ Maintaining well-coordinated reform, development and stability;

2¡¢ Seeking economic efficiency at the same time as maintaining high-speed growth and sticking to the strategy of developing the country through science and technology;

3¡¢ Market mechanisms should play a bigger role in the country's economic development;

4¡¢ Economic development should be in harmony with the population growth, exploitation of natural resources, ecological construction and environmental protection in line with sustainable growth;

5¡¢ The development of the country's vast central and western areas will be speeded up to narrow the regional gap.

6¡¢ The opening and reform policy should be unswervingly implemented and State economic safety should be safeguarded.

Officials of the State Development Planning Commission said, that in relatively backward central and western regions, priority should be given to projects related to water conservancy, electricity, communications, environmental protection and the development of resources.

Zeng also urged planners to improve their study of Deng Xiaoping Theory and adhere to a practical and realistic style of work.
The method of setting up targets before scientific analysis should be abandoned, Zeng stressed.

The process of planning should be made transparent and encourage participation of people from all walks of life, especially experts in China and from other countries.



£¨China Daily 06/23/99£©


 
   
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