The National Planning Conference held at the end of 1999 relayed Premier Zhu Rongji's important instruction on the conference to the attendants. Zhu confirmed the achievements in the planning work over the past year and set new demands on the work in the new year.

At the meeting, Minister in Charge of the State Development Planning Commission Zeng Peiyan summarized the results of the macro-control policy in 1999 and analyzed the favorable conditions and main problems needed to tackle for future development. He also set major goals and nine tasks for the country's socioeconomic development in 2000.


Zeng noted that in 1999, the implementation of such policies and measures as expanding domestic demand, issuing additional government loans and increasing the income of residents has effectively stimulated the demand for investment, consumption and export. The economic growth in 1999 was expected to reach or slightly exceed the goal of 7 percent set at the beginning of the year. The country's socioeconomic development environment for 2000, in general, tends to improve. The Government will give priority to the reform of State-owned enterprises (SOEs), economic restructuring, scientific and technological progress and the expansion of domestic demand. The picking-up of worldwide economy and trade and the agreement reached by China and the United States on WTO negotiations will provide China with fairly good opportunities to expand foreign economic and technological exchange.


The minister put forward nine major tasks for socioeconomic development in 2000, including:


Adopting various effective measures to increase investment in fixed assets. In 2000, investment in fixed assets will continue to grow, with focus on infrastructure construction, technological renovation, ecological construction and environment improvement, science, education and other social undertakings, as well as the construction of economic affordable housing. Allocation of construction funds will further incline to the west region, and a batch of major projects will be launched. To ensure the quality of construction projects, the planning departments will carry out regular examinations of key State projects, with emphasis on projects funded by government loans.


Promoting urban and rural residents' consumption and displaying the role of consumption demand in stimulating economic growth. Policies that restrain the consumption of electricity, housing, vehicles and communication equipment will be cleared up. Credit on consumption will be expanded. Efforts will be made to intensify the development of tourism resources, particularly those in central and west regions, and increase the input in tourism infrastructure facilities. The consumption system will be reformed, with focus on encouraging consumption on housing and vehicles. Market circulation of sold public houses and commodity houses will be promoted, the cost of housing will be lowered, and measures encouraging the consumption of vehicles will be formulated. The reform of the income distribution system will be stepped up, with an eye to increase the residents' purchasing power and add the farmers' incomes steadily.


Enhancing the level of opening-up and improving the utilization of both domestic and overseas markets and resources. The composition of import and export commodities will be optimized.Efforts will be made to further expand foreign trade export and well organize the import of important commodities needed in domestic production and construction. Areas for the introduction of foreign capital and the service trade sector will be opened further to the outside world. Efforts will be pooled to improve the management over foreign debts and guard against financial risks.


Readjusting agricultural structure and enhancing the market competitiveness of farm produce. Endeavors will be made to enhance the quality of farm produce, rationally readjust the product mix and the regional distribution of farm produce, strengthen the construction of water conservancy projects, and improve agricultural production conditions. Encouragement will be given to the development of the small town economy, turning it into a new growth point for the rural economy.


Expediting the readjustment of industrial structures and promoting the technological upgrading of traditional industries. Efforts will be made to accelerate the readjustment of the distribution and structural reorganization of old industrial bases and industrial enterprises in central and west regions.New and high technologies will be used to promote the structural readjustment and upgrading of traditional industries.


Displaying the role of pricing as an economic level to promote economic growth and restructuring. Efforts will be made to straighten out price relations, complete pricing mechanisms, rectify price order, promote the reform of fee collection, and intensify price supervision and examination.


Continuing to implement the strategy of developing the country through science and education and promoting the all-round progress of various social undertakings. Efforts will be pooled to expedite the industrialization of new and high technologies, complete the policy system for high-tech development, organize the implementation of major industrialization projects, quicken the pace for the universalization of the nine-year compulsory education in areas in west China that have a week educational foundation, and strengthen the construction of infrastructure facilities for all social undertakings.


Adhering to the sustainable development strategy and improving ecological construction and environmental protection. Input in environmental protection and ecological construction will be increased. Protection of land, water and mineral resources will be intensified in accordance with the law. Land use plans, management and examination will be tightened up, and additional utilization of land for construction will be strictly put under control. Equal importance will be put on the prevention and control of industrial pollution and the readjustment of industrial structures, and enterprises with high energy consumption, poor economic returns and serious pollution will be forced to close down, suspend production or shift to other lines of business.


Expediting the large-scale development of the west region and promoting the coordinated development of regional economies. Development of the west region will be based on quickened construction of infrastructure facilities, with importance attached to the protection and construction of ecological environment. The readjustment of industrial structures will be taken as the key link of development, and the energetic development of science, technology and education will be made important conditions for regional development. The reform and opening program will be accelerated to form a strong motive force for economic development. In 2000, while the development in east and central regions will be further expedited, substantial progress will be made in the large-scale development in the west region.

Minister Zeng also set demands on the formulation of the l0th Five- Year Plan (2001-2005). He called on efforts to implement relevant instructions of the central authorities, make profound analysis of the domestic and international economic environment during the l0th Five- Year Plan period, enhance the scientific and predictable level of the plan, give emphasis to the macro-control, strategic and policy-oriented nature of the plan, imbue the plan with the characteristics of the times, and let it conform to the law governing the development of history and regulate and guide economic activities more effectively.