Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

　China to test run super-ministries in central gov't body reform

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will explore to integrate functions of small departments to found larger ones in the State Council reform, said Premier Wen Jiabao here Wednesday.

　　The plan is to avoid "overlapping responsibilities" and "powers not being matched by responsibilities," Wen said in his government work report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC). Full story

　　Premier: China to present a "unique" Olympic Games

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will give the world a unique, well-run Olympic Games, said Premier Wen Jiabao here Wednesday.

　　"We will prepare for and organize the Games well, strengthen cooperation with the international community and create an excellent environment," said the Premier at the annual parliament session. Full story

　　Premier: "Taiwan independence" attempts doomed to fail

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The attempts of "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces to deny the reality that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China and to undermine peace in the Taiwan Straits are doomed to fail, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Wednesday.

　　Wen made the remarks while delivering a report on the work of his cabinet at the opening meeting of the annual full session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. Full story

　　China plans multibillion yuan budget for low-rent housing program

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China plans to allocate 6.8-billion-yuan (951 million U.S. dollars) in its 2008 budget to build low-rent houses for urban poor, Premier Wen Jiabao said here Wednesday.

　　The amount is 1.7 billion yuan (238 million U.S. dollars), or 33 percent, more than last year, Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress that opened at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. Full story

　　Premier ensures employees in China to have paid vacations

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised here Wednesday the government will try to ensure all employees in the country to have annual paid vacations.

　　"We will institute a system of annual paid vacations for employees," said Wen in his report on government work to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress that began here Wednesday morning. Full story

　　Chinese Premier promises to crack down on illegal employment

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese government will "severely" punish illegal employment while following a "vigorous" employment policy, said Premier Wen Jiabao here Wednesday.

　　"We will improve the handling of labor disputes and oversight for worker protection measures," he said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening here. Full story

　　China to solicit public opinions on health care reform

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) - China has drawn up a preliminary plan on the health care reform which will soon be publicized to solicit opinions from the general public, Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Wednesday.

　　The reform aims to maintain the "public service nature of public medical and health care services," and set up a basic medical and health care system to provide safe, effective, convenient and affordable service, said Wen while delivering a government work report at the first session of the 11th National People's Congress, the top legislature. Full story

　　China to establish stock market for growth enterprises

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will establish a stock market for growth enterprises this year, said Premier Wen Jiabao while delivering a government work report here on Wednesday.

　　"We will establish a market for growth enterprises, accelerate development of the bond market and steadily develop the futures market," Wen said at the opening of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature. Full story

　　China to introduce shareholding system into agriculture bank

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will continue deepening reform of the banking industry this year, with focuses on the introduction of a shareholding system in the Agriculture Bank of China and the reform of the China Development Bank, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday.

　　"We will speed up reform of the financial system and strengthen financial oversight," said Wen while delivering a government work report at the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress, the top legislature. Full story

　　Premier: China to stipulate, update 7,700 food, drug standards

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will stipulate or update more than 7,700 national standards for the safety of food, drugs and other consumer goods this year, as part of the efforts to ensure product quality and safety, Premier Wen Jiabao said here Wednesday.

　　"It is imperative that the people feel confident about the safety of food and other consumer goods and that our exports have a good reputation," said Wen while delivering a report on the workof his cabinet at the opening meeting of the annual full session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. Full story

　　Chinese Premier pledges hefty investment schemes under tight monetary policy

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China is to follow a tight monetary policy to address the still-unsolved problem of excessive liquidity, and in the meantime, the government also pledges to add another several hundred billion yuan in additional funds to boost agriculture, education, medicare and strengthen the nation's social safety net.

　　Addressing the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao said in his government work report that the decision to follow a tight monetary policy is based on "the strong possibility of a resurgence in fixed asset investment, continued excessive supplies of money and credit, the still-unsolved problem of excess liquidity, and considerable inflationary pressure." Full story

Premier: governors, mayors held responsible for "rice bags," "vegetable baskets"

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) - In an effort to control the surging inflation rates, especially soaring food prices, and maintain social stability, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told governments at all levels here Wednesday to provide a steady and adequate food supply to the country's 1.3 billion population.

　　China will "adhere to the system of provincial governors assuming responsibility for the 'rice bag' (grain supply) program and city mayors for the 'vegetable basket' (non-staple food supply) program," Wen told the nearly 3,000 deputies to the National People's Congress in his government work report. Full story

　　China to create 10 mln jobs in cities, keeping jobless rate at 4.5% in 2008

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Facing huge pressure of unemployment in the country, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Wednesday that the government will work to create 10 million jobs this year and try to keep registered urban unemployment rate at around 4.5 percent.

　　"Providing adequate employment opportunities in China, which has the largest population in the world, is a daunting challenge,"Wen said in his government work report delivered at the opening meeting of the top legislature's annual full session. Full story

　　Premier: China to keep year's CPI rise around 4.8%

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China has set the target of keeping this year's CPI at around 4.8 percent, given the inflationary pressure and strong influence from last year, Premier Wen Jiabao said at the annual parliament session on Wednesday.

　　The primary task for macroeconomic regulation this year is to prevent fast economic growth from becoming overheated growth and keep structural price increases from turning into significant inflation, Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening on Wednesday. Full story

　　Premier: China targets 8% GDP growth in 2008

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China targets an eight-percent GDP growth this year on the basis of energy conservation and emission reduction, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday.

　　"On the basis of improving the economic structure, productivity, energy efficiency and environmental protection, the GDP should grow by about eight percent," Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening here on Wednesday. Full story

　　Chinese premier acknowledges "increasing inflationary pressure"

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao admitted on Wednesday the country is facing "increasing inflationary pressures" and its task of holding down inflation is "difficult."

　　"The current price hikes and increasing inflationary pressures are the biggest concern of the people," Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening here on Wednesday. Full story

The First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2008.

　　Premier says China's state sector robust

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao voiced satisfaction over the vitality of the state sector, saying its impact and influence on the national economy are "greatly enhanced" over the past five years.

　　The total value of assets of state owned enterprises (SOEs) in 2006 grew by 60.98 percent compared to 2002, their total profits increased by 223 percent and their tax contributions grew by 105 percent, Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress opening here on Wednesday. Full story

　　Premier: China reports drops in energy consumption, pollution in 2007

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) - China reported reductions in energy consumption as well as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total sulfur dioxide emission last year, Premier Wen Jiabao said at the annual parliament session on Wednesday.

　　In 2007, China saw a 3.27 percent year-on-year drop in energy consumption for each unit of GDP, Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress. Full story

　　Wen says China's economy grew by 65.5% in five years

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) - China's economy grew by 65.5 percent over the past five years, or an average annual increase of 10.6 percent, to become the world's fourth largest economy, Premier Wen Jiabao said at the annual parliament session on Wednesday.

　　He said the country's gross domestic product reached 24.66 trillion yuan (about 3.425 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, while total government revenue reached 5.13 trillion yuan (712 billion dollars), a 171 percent rise in five years. Full story

　　China's parliament starts annual session, sets GDP growth at 8%

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The 11th National People's Congress (NPC) of China, the parliament, started its first session here on Wednesday with the GDP growth rate this year targeted about 8 percent and CPI increase around 4.8 percent.

　　Premier Wen Jiabao evaluated government work in the past five years as "making major achievements in reform, opening up and modernization," but also admitted that there are still some prominent issues and deep-rooted problems affecting economic performance. Full story

　　China ready for top legislature's annual session

　　BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China is ready for the opening of the annual session of its top legislature, with all the delegations having arrived in Beijing, according to the session's press center on Monday.

　　The delegation from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the last to arrive in Beijing, saw their train pull in the Beijing Railway Station at about 7:20 p.m. on Monday. Full story

　　Highlights of Chinese Premier Wen's gov't work report

　　BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will deliver a government work report at the opening meeting of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, in the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday.

　　Following are the highlights of the Report on the Work of the Government distributed to journalists before the opening of the NPC session. Full story