Premier Zhu Rongji has started what is tipped to be a long campaign to placate parliamentarians and cadres opposed to China's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Steps have also been taken to boost the productivity of state-owned enterprises to prepare them for enhanced competition with multinationals and joint ventures.
A Beijing source said yesterday that aides to the Premier, who personally determined the WTO-related concessions to be made to the United States and other countries, said Mr Zhu faced an uphill battle in changing popular opinion.
While consumers welcome the prospects of more foreign products, entrepreneurs, workers and farmers fear loss of business and jobs.
Briefing sessions for members of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be scheduled soon.
'Quite a few heavyweight NPC members, including parliamentary chairman Li Peng, favour a more gradualist approach to WTO accession,' the source said.
