The mainland yesterday wrapped up a key meeting intended to set the tone for next year with a call for 'stable, relatively rapid' economic growth.
The annual economic conference unveiled an eight-point plan to govern the world's fastest-growing economy in 2006 - the first year of the mainland's 11th Five-Year Programme. It expressed a broad commitment to reform and a call for more balanced development.
Analysts said the eight points covered policies already articulated by the government and details, including specific economic targets, should emerge at the National People's Congress session in March.
Since taking office, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have called for the quality of growth to improve and for the growing income gap to be tackled. A string of environmental disasters, industrial accidents and incidents of social unrest have highlighted the need for change.
In a statement carried by Xinhua at the close of the gathering yesterday, leaders pledged to maintain macroeconomic controls that were aimed at slowing blind growth.
Under the eight-point plan, the government will promote domestic consumption to play a bigger role in supporting economic growth, while controlling fixed-asset investment. Both fiscal and monetary policy will remain stable.
The meeting, organised by the Communist Party and the State Council - the national cabinet - pledged to raise incomes and create jobs, two pillars of mainland economic policy widely viewed as necessary to keep a lid on social unrest.