National People`s Congress of China opens

China will focus on restructuring the industrial sector and boosting efficiency in the next five years while promoting a two-fold increase in the nation`s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2010, Premier Zhu Rongji said Monday.

Zhu made the announcement on the first day of the fourth meeting of the ninth-term National People`s Congress. At the meeting, the premier vowed that the government would implement policies to achieve an average of 7 percent annual economic growth by the end of 2005 as part of its 10th five-year economic plan for 2001-2005. He also pledged to improve the quality of life for the Chinese people through policies to encourage reform, openness and technological development.

According to Zhu, China will make efforts to achieve worldwide peace by strengthening friendship and cooperation with other countries and taking a more active role on the international stage. Unlike in the past, the premier did not touch on China`s relationship with countries such as Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The Congress is scheduled to close on Mar. 15 after deliberating the new economic plan, the state budget for 2001, laws related to attracting more foreign capital, ways to crack down on rampant corruption and criminal organizations and measures to deal with Falun Gong protests.

The opening ceremony was attended by 2,870 lawmakers and seven members of the standing committee of the Chinese Communist Party`s Politburo, including Zhu, President Jiang Zemin and committee chairman Li Peng.

Lee Jong-Hwan ljhzip@donga.com