Briefs, March 5, 2013

President-in-waiting Xi Jinping says innovation is the key to solving China's economic problems and a strategy to ensure its future development. At a panel discussion with scientists and technology experts at the annual meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing yesterday, Xi said implementing innovation-driven development was crucial towards solving deep-rooted problems in China's economy and speeding up its growth. The political report delivered by former Communist Party chief Hu Jintao , the outgoing president, at the party's 18th national congress in November said the government would implement a "strategy of innovation-driven development". The keynote policy document will guide China's development in the next five years. Despite fast growth in the past three decades, China lags far behind developed economies in terms of technology and innovation. Xi pledged to push ahead with institutional restructuring to remove barriers to innovation-driven strategy. Cary Huang

At another CPPCC panel discussion, premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang said the government would attach more importance to speeding up reform, in order to give the market a bigger role in tackling economic problems and regulating the economy. Li said the government would strike a balance between short-term and long-term development. "We will effectively tackle existing issues, but should also attach more importance to long-term ones," Li said. He said the government would seek advancement while maintaining stability, pursuing economic growth and containing inflation. Cary Huang

Wang Qishan , secretary of the Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said the party would keep cracking down on corruption at both high and low levels. Wang told a panel of CPPCC members that punishing and preventing corruption are both important tasks and the key to restricting officials' power and building effective institutions. Xinhua