China's cabinet discusses draft gov't work report, 14th Five-Year Plan

China's State Council on Wednesday convened a plenary meeting to discuss a draft government work report and the draft 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.

The two documents will be deliberated at the top legislature's annual session in March.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, decided to distribute the two draft documents to local governments and relevant departments of the central government to solicit opinion.

Li said despite multiple severe shocks such as the COVID-19 epidemic and global economic recession, China's economy posted growth in 2020. Its gross domestic product exceeded the 100-trillion-yuan (15.42 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold.

In addition to stabilizing its economy, China made historic achievements in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, won a decisive victory in poverty eradication, and wrapped up the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) successfully last year, Li noted.

The 14th Five-Year Plan period will be the first five years as China embarks on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country, said Li.

Li underlined the importance of understanding the new development stage, acting on the new development philosophy, and establishing the new development paradigm.

He called for greater progress in upgrading the economic structure, improving the quality of people's lives and promoting high-quality development.

Li urged maintaining the continuity, stability and sustainability of macro policies and the necessary support for economic recovery, ensuring the economy runs in an appropriate range, strengthening scientific and technological innovation, and stepping up reform and opening-up.

He also called for efforts to boost enterprises' confidence, address people's concerns, and guard against and defuse risks.

By soliciting opinion, Li said the government would learn about the concerns of people and businesses. Through this feedback, the government will make its policies and measures more realistic and targeted, better demonstrate the scientific and democratic decision-making process, and further stimulate the vitality of market entities and social creativity.

Vice Premiers Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He, and State Councilors Wang Yong, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi attended the meeting.