The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, closed its annual session in Beijing Friday, after approving Premier Zhu Rongji's report on government work.
Top Chinese leaders Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing, Li Lanqing were among the 2,813 NPC deputies at the closing of the 10.5-day session, which was presided over by Li Peng, who served as executive chairman of the closing meeting.
The lawmakers adopted a resolution approving Premier Zhu's government work report, describing it as "factual" in reviewing the government's work in 2001 and "positive and pragmatic" in outlining the tasks for 2002 and measures to be taken.
In his report, Premier Zhu vowed to further boost domestic demand to attain a relatively fast economic growth and pledged to further open up to the outside world following China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) last December.
He also vowed to take decisive measures to overhaul the market and modify government functions and raise its efficiency.
To stimulate domestic demand, Zhu said, the government will issue 150 billion yuan worth of long-term state bonds to finance the western China development drive, technical upgrading in state-owned enterprises, the south-to-north water diversion project and the protection of the water resources in the Beijing-Tianjin area, among others.
The legislature also approved the State Council's economic and social development plan for 2002, which sets the target of economic growth at seven percent.
Also approved by the lawmakers were the central and local budgets for 2002, the report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee in 2001 by its chairman Li Peng, and the work reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
In the resolution on Chairman Li Peng's report, the lawmakers urged the Standing Committee to step up its legislative work, improve the quality of legislation and fulfill its commitment to initially complete a framework for a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics before the tenth NPC is elected next year.
In the resolutions on the reports of the Court and the Procuratorate, the legislature urged them to faithfully carry out their duties, uphold impartiality in juridical work, deepen their reforms, improve their work style and efficiency, subject themselves to supervision by the people and raise the quality of their staff.
Addressing the closing meeting, Li Peng described the annual session as fully successful, democratic, pragmatic and encouraging.
He urged the deputies to take the lead in implementing the decisions adopted at the session, and rally all cadres and ordinary people in scoring new achievements in China's modernization drive.
(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2002)
