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Wen reiterates longing for harmonious society
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-03-05 10:34
While high-speed economic growth and dramatic social changes continue to
distinguish China across the globe, the country's leadership is eyeing a
smoother ride on its development path by setting forth a guideline prioritizing
harmony.
In his government work report delivered at the opening meeting of the Third
Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC)on Saturday here, Premier
Wen Jiabao said the government will "strive to solve outstanding problems vital
to the immediate interests of the people, safeguard social stability and build a
harmonious socialist society" in 2005.
"The pursuit after harmony will largely decide China's future political,
economic, social and cultural moves," said Xiao Zhuoji,an economist from Beijing
University and also a member of China's top advisory body.
The concept of "harmonious socialist society" was first launched at the
Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th Communist Partyof China (CPC) Central
Committee and further interpreted by Chinese President Hu Jintao at a routine
high-level Party seminar held prior to this year's sessions of NPC and the
National Committee of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)to
set the keynote of this year's social and economic development.
A harmonious society features democracy, the rule of law, equity, justice,
sincerity, amity and vitality. It gives full scope to people's talent and
creativity, enables all the people toshare the social wealth brought by reform
and development, and forges an ever closer relationship between the people and
government.
"These things will result in enduring stability and unity," said Hu, also
general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
Sustained reforms and opening-up over the past two and half decades have
resulted in prosperity for many Chinese citizens, butsocial problems such as
corruption, an income gap between interiorareas and coastal regions as well as
between urban and rural population, unemployment, poverty, poor production
safety and pollution are among top concerns of the country's vast commoner
stratum.
Failure of the country's compulsory education to reach rural children and the
lack of full-fledged health and medical care systems, are among others
protruding social problems.
Against a backdrop of varied problems and conflicts, Chinese leaders have on
many occasions voiced their concerns about "balancing the interests between
different social groups, avoiding conflicts and making sure people live a safe
and happy life in a politically stable country".
"The government has begun to pay more attention to what economic growth means
to social development," said Qiu Dong, a professor with the Central University
of Finance and Economics anda deputy to the NPC.
Actually, a range of measures have been taken in many social spheres to
better serve Chinese people's vital needs, in compliance with the
"people-centered" concept repeatedly underscored by the Chinese leadership.
In an effort to better handle peoples' complaints, China revised the
regulations in this regard to make it easier for petitioners to make complaints
and reduce the causes of petitions.The new regulations concerning petitions will
go into effect on May 1 of this year.
In order to "unite with people from all social strata that havecontributed to
the prosperity of the nation", the All-China Federation of Trade Unions have
recently decided to make private businessmen eligible to the title of " national
model and advancedworkers," an honor usually given to workers in public sectors.
In his Saturday's government work report, Wen also called for more efforts to
be made to serve the "harmony" drive.
In 2005, 10.9 billion yuan (1.3 billion US dollars) will be allocated from
the central budget to help laid-offs to be re-employed, 2.6 billion yuan (316.7
million US dollars) more than the last year. "Local budgets will also increase
allocations for the reemployment drive," said Wen.
The Chinese leader also pledged to extend down-to-earth aid to rural areas to
further spread compulsory education.
Starting this year, poor rural students covered by a national poverty
alleviation plan will be provided with free textbooks and exempted from
miscellaneous fees and those staying on campus will receive living allowances.
The policy will be extended to all Chinese rural regions by 2007, according to
Wen.
As an effort to help the country's 9 million farmers, a major issue with a
bearing on China's pursuit of harmony, government departments at all levels
across the country are urged to allocatemore than 200 billion yuan (about 24
billion US dollars) this yearfor this purpose, said an official of the State
Council here Friday.
While addressing the China's chronical coal mine safety problems, the Chinese
Premier vowed 3 billion yuan (365 million USdollars) to be spent in 2005 to
"help state-owned collieries upgrade their safety technologies".
During the past five months, China has seen a number of fatal coal mine
accidents and the "industry in black" was smeared with the blood of hundreds of
miners.
Last October, a coal mine blast claimed 148 lives at the DapingCoal Mine in
central China's Henan Province. Two months later, a similar accident killed 166
people in Tongchuan, a city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. In February,
a devastating gasexplosion in Fuxin, a city in northeast China's Liaoning
Province devoured lives of 214 miners.
"We should draw on the bitter lessons paid in blood that these catastrophic
accidents have taught," said Wen.
The Premier also pledged to continue reforming the income distribution
system, another top concern of the general public as indicated by many online
polls done before this year's CPPCC and NPC sessions.
To tackle the widespread discontent with graft and corruption, the government
will "continue to increase transparency of its workand boost popular confidence
in government".
"Whatever work the government should do, it should do well," said the
Premier, "We will handle conflicts among the people correctly".
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