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Chinese parliament meeting opens China's Wen pledges fairer growth
(about 3 hours later)
The meeting of China's legislature - the National People's Congress (NPC) - has opened in Beijing with a report by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has opened the annual session of the country's legislature with a call for more sustainable economic growth.
Mr Wen said China would do more to save energy, cut pollution and continue the country's stellar economic growth. Mr Wen said China would do more to cut pollution levels, and increase spending on health and education.
He promised to reduce the gap between wealthy cities and poorer rural areas. He also pledged to reduce the wealth gap between urban and rural areas.
Correspondents say the report goes to the heart of the government's pledge to focus more on sustainable development than rapid economic growth at any cost. Mr Wen's speech goes to the heart of the government's pledge to focus more on sustainable development than rapid economic growth at any cost.
In his address to nearly 3,000 delegates in the Great Hall of the People, Mr Wen delivered his annual work report focusing on government plans to fine-tune China's economy. But the BBC's Daniel Griffiths in Beijing says that China's politicians have made similar promises in the past, without much success.
He projected that the GDP would grow by about 8% in 2007, but the need to shun growth for growth's sake and to make the nation's economy greener was a recurring theme. PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA Draft laws on tax and propertyNew motions aimed at tackling government corruptionSchool fee exemptions for some areasMacro-economic controls class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/1.stm">How China is governed
We must safeguard social fairness and justice, and ensure that all of the people share in the fruits of reform and development Prime Minister Wen Jiabao Despite increasing international concern at the country's expanding military, Mr Wen also used his speech to confirm that China would continue to strengthen its armed forces.
"We should... avoid seeking only faster growth and competing for faster growth," he said at the opening of the 12-day session. The Chinese government announced over the weekend that the nation's military budget would rise by 17.8% in 2007.
Mr Wen called for a greater effort to protect the environment, after China missed its targets to improve energy efficiency and pollution levels last year. A greener China?
The National People's Congress (NPC) is a largely symbolic organisation which meets in full only once a year.
It mainly serves as a rubber stamp to endorse the policies of the ruling Communist Party.
In his two-hour opening address to nearly 3,000 delegates in the Great Hall of the People, Mr Wen delivered a report focused mainly on the government's plans to fine-tune China's economy.
He projected that GDP would grow by about 8% in 2007 - slightly down from the double-digit growth of recent years.
The need to shun growth for growth's sake and to make the nation's economy greener was a recurring theme.
We must safeguard social fairness and justice, and ensure that all of the people share in the fruits of reform and development Prime Minister Wen Jiabao NPC delegates gather
"We should... avoid seeking only faster growth and competing for faster growth," Mr Wen said.
He also called for a greater effort to protect the environment, after China missed its targets to improve energy efficiency and pollution levels last year.
"The pattern of economic growth is inefficient. This can be seen most clearly in excessive energy consumption and serious environmental pollution."The pattern of economic growth is inefficient. This can be seen most clearly in excessive energy consumption and serious environmental pollution.
"We must attach greater importance to saving energy and resources, protecting the environment and using land intensively," he said."We must attach greater importance to saving energy and resources, protecting the environment and using land intensively," he said.
In a speech that lasted more than two hours, China's premier also acknowledged that ordinary people were being sacrificed in the rush for riches. Private property rights
He also acknowledged that ordinary people, especially in poorer rural areas, were being sacrificed in the rush for riches.
"We must... safeguard social fairness and justice, and ensure that all of the people share in the fruits of reform and development.""We must... safeguard social fairness and justice, and ensure that all of the people share in the fruits of reform and development."
'Landmark law' Mr Wen said a law ending preferential tax rates for foreign companies would also be passed.
The NPC meets once a year to endorse the policies of the ruling Communist Party. Foreign companies have up until now paid an income tax rate of 15%, compared with 33% for local businesses. Under the new legislation, a tax rate of 25% will apply to all companies.
Mr Wen said a law ending preferential tax rates for foreign companies would be passed. Another law expected to be passed, but not mentioned in Mr Wen's speech, would give unprecedented protection for private property rights - an important step in the Communist Party's transition to a market economy.
Another law expected to be passed, but not mentioned by Mr Wen, would give unprecedented protection for private property rights - an important step in the Communist Party's transition to a market economy. Despite the fact that no actual policies are decided at the 12-day NPC meeting, analysts say it does offer a rare chance to hear about the issues at the top of the government's agenda.
A day after the government announced that the military budget would rise by 17.8% in 2007, Mr Wen said China would continue to strengthen its armed forces. This year's meeting will also be followed closely because it comes before a major Communist Party gathering later in the year, when President Hu Jintao is expected to carry out a reshuffle to further strengthen his position.
The BBC's Daniel Griffiths in Beijing says it is an ambitious wish list and China's politicians have made similar promises in the past without much success.
The meeting will also be closely watched ahead of a major Communist Party gathering in the autumn, when President Hu Jintao is expected to carry out a reshuffle to further strengthen his position, our correspondent says.