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| Wen Jiabao opens China National People's Congress | Wen Jiabao opens China National People's Congress |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| China's Premier Wen Jiabao promised job creation, stable growth and anti-corruption efforts as he opened the annual session of parliament. | |
| Mr Wen, whose work report traditionally begins the session, also called for balanced development in a speech on past achievements and future plans. | |
| This National People's Congress will see the final stage of the country's once-in-a-decade leadership change. | |
| Communist Party chief Xi Jinping will become president, replacing Hu Jintao. | |
| The event will be keenly watched to see who secures other top government posts. | The event will be keenly watched to see who secures other top government posts. |
| This work report is Mr Wen's last - he is expected to be replaced by Li Keqiang as premier. | |
| The report set a target of 7.5% for economic growth, unchanged from 2012, with an inflation target of 3.5%, and promised to create more than nine million new urban jobs. | |
| "We must make ensuring and improving people's well-being the starting point and goal of all the government's work, give entire priority to it, and strive to strengthen social development,'' Mr Wen said. | |
| State media also reported that defence spending would rise by 10.7% to 720.2bn yuan ($115.7bn), a slight drop from the rise of 11.2% in 2012. | |
| China's military spending has seen several years of double-digit growth - and observers say actual expenditure is believed to be far higher. But the figure falls well short of US military spending. | |
| Vocal public | |
| Around 3,000 delegates are attending the Congress, including members of the military, monks, ethnic minority representatives and business leaders. The majority are members of China's Communist Party. | Around 3,000 delegates are attending the Congress, including members of the military, monks, ethnic minority representatives and business leaders. The majority are members of China's Communist Party. |
| Rather than debate policy, the role of the delegates is to ratify decisions already made by party officials behind closed doors, making the Congress essentially a rubber stamp parliament. | Rather than debate policy, the role of the delegates is to ratify decisions already made by party officials behind closed doors, making the Congress essentially a rubber stamp parliament. |
| They are expected to approve plans to restructure several government departments as well as to amend some long-standing policies on the military, the virtual monopoly of some state enterprises and on individual freedoms. | They are expected to approve plans to restructure several government departments as well as to amend some long-standing policies on the military, the virtual monopoly of some state enterprises and on individual freedoms. |
| While the exact schedule has not yet been made public, towards the end of the two-week-long event, Mr Xi will formally become the country's new president. | While the exact schedule has not yet been made public, towards the end of the two-week-long event, Mr Xi will formally become the country's new president. |
| Last November, he was appointed head of the Communist Party - the largest political party in the world - making the final step to the presidency all but inevitable. | Last November, he was appointed head of the Communist Party - the largest political party in the world - making the final step to the presidency all but inevitable. |
| Since his promotion, Mr Xi has been feted in Chinese media as a man of the people who shuns the usual trappings of his position, as well as a staunch nationalist. | Since his promotion, Mr Xi has been feted in Chinese media as a man of the people who shuns the usual trappings of his position, as well as a staunch nationalist. |
| He has also been quoted speaking firmly of the need to stamp out corruption at all levels, warning of civil unrest if party privilege is not tackled. | |
| Also set for promotion is Li Keqiang, who is expected to take over the top economic post from Mr Wen. As such, he will give a press conference at the end of the gathering and set about forming the country's new cabinet. | |
| China's new leaders are set to inherit a far more vocal public than their predecessors faced, with social media now forcing them to address public concerns more than they ever have before. | China's new leaders are set to inherit a far more vocal public than their predecessors faced, with social media now forcing them to address public concerns more than they ever have before. |
| On the eve of the Congress, the country's media reflected high public expectations, reporting demands for action on corruption, education, social care, the increasingly pressing issue of pollution and for steps to address the growing wealth gap. | On the eve of the Congress, the country's media reflected high public expectations, reporting demands for action on corruption, education, social care, the increasingly pressing issue of pollution and for steps to address the growing wealth gap. |
| "Instead of telling people how excited they are about what the country has achieved, our legislators and political advisers should focus more on sharing their wisdom on how to make things even better," a China Daily editorial said. | |
| "That is the change the country needs and the people are eagerly waiting for." | |