SENIOR cadres are trying to boost their popularity by making efforts to improve people's quality of life instead of market reforms.
And leaders have made concessions to local administrations and enterprises on tax and other issues.
During meetings with National People's Congress delegates from various provinces, the premier Li Peng and Vice-Premier Zhu Rongji made assurances that the people's standard of living would not be further undercut by inflation.
Mr Li told deputies from Hebei yesterday that Beijing would boost vegetable and foodstuffs production to alleviate inflation.
''There are 23 kinds of goods that are most closely related to people's livelihood,'' Xinhua (the New China News Agency) quoted Mr Li as saying.
Mr Li said to encourage cotton production, the Government had decided to raise its purchasing price by a ''proper'' margin.
''However, if purchasing prices are raised too high, I'm afraid the textile industry won't be able to bear [the costs],'' Mr Li said.