The second plenary meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 7, 2023.
(PHOTO: XINHUA)

By Staff Reporters

At the opening meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered a government work report on behalf of the State Council at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5.

The report proposed the major development targets of China in 2023:

•Expanding the country's economy by around 5 percent.

•Creating around 12 million urban jobs and targeting a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent.

•Increase of consumer price index (CPI) at around 3 percent.

•Growth in personal income generally in step with national economic growth.

•Steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports and a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments.

•Keeping the country's grain output over 650 million tons.

•Energy consumption per unit of GDP and the discharge of major pollutants continuing declining with a focus on controlling the consumption of fossil fuels, and the quality of eco -environment steadily improving.

The report also proposed to implement a prudent monetary policy in a targeted way, and enhance the intensity and effectiveness of the country's proactive fiscal policy in 2023.

Key tasks of the government for 2023 were also listed in the report:

•Expanding domestic demand and priority will be given to the recovery and expansion of consumption.

•Accelerating the modernization of the industrial system.

•Unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector and unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public sector.

•Intensifying efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment.

•Effectively preventing and defusing major economic and financial risks.

•Stabilizing grain output and advancing rural revitalization.

•Continuing the transition to green development and intensifying pollution prevention and control.

•Guaranteeing people's basic well-being and developing social undertakings.

In addition, the report noted that sci-tech policies should focus on self-reliance and self-strengthening, and a new system for mobilizing the resources nationwide should be improved to have the government play its role as an organizer to tackle key scientific and technological problems. The principal role of enterprises in sci -tech innovation should be highlighted, according to the report.