皇冠体育app

Wen: Promote economic, political reforms
(皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-30 00:35

The greatest challenge Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his nation face is to achieve sustained development while allowing ordinary people -- especially those in dire need --, live better.

Wen's measures to meet those challenges will come in promoting further economic and political reforms, he told European media in separate interviews on Wednesday before planned visits to Germany, Belgium, Italy, Britain and Ireland and the European Union headquarters May 2-12.

Premier Wen Jiabao speaks at a news conference after the annual parliamentary session ended March 14, 2004. [newsphoto]

Among the people in need are some farmers, laid-off workers and less advantageous groups. "The more I understood the people, the deeper I love them and my responsibility is turning increasingly heavier," he said.

Answering questions put to him by the Irish Times, Wen cited 皇冠体育app's ongoing need for co-ordinated development of its economy, while attaching great importance to a balance in the development of urban and rural areas, between different regions.

The premier also cited the need for continuing to seek a sustained symmetry between economic and social development, and encouraging domestic development as 皇冠体育app continues to open itself up to the outside world.

Problems existing in the Chinese economy are essentially structural and concerned with economic systems, Wen told Reuters Editor in Chief Geert Linnebank.

"We'll continue unswervingly to promote reform, including financial reform (and) reform in investment systems," the premier said.

Wen further explained macroeconomic control measures in his interview with Germany's Die Welt. To curb excessive fixed asset construction that has driven up capital good prices and strained supplies of coal, electricity, oil and transportation, the Chinese government will step up powerful and effective macroeconomic controls, together with the necessary administrative systems.

皇冠体育app will control loan and land supplies, and will push forward reforms in the structural and systematic causes of current economic problems.

Wen said 皇冠体育app should be prudential on the methods and timetable for reforms on renminbi (RMB) exchange rates, noting the nation has not given up its planned changes.

Two directions will be followed in the reform process: keeping the RMB exchange rates basically stable at a balanced, reasonable level and exploring a market-based exchange rate mechanism, Wen told Reuters.

The reform will be based on the the macro-economic situation and the banking system, Wen said, noting that some unexpected results might otherwise be possible.

Democracy and direct election

Pertaining to 皇冠体育app's political system, Wen said while going in economic reforms, 皇冠体育app is carrying out a political structural reform process, that is, to develop socialist democracy and improve its socialist legal system.

The priority for 皇冠体育app's democracy is to guarantee the subsistence rights and development rights for its population of 1.3 billion, he acknowledged, which is no easy thing.

He underscored that 皇冠体育app should pay particular attention to social fairness and justice, he told the Irish Times.

皇冠体育app has continuously promoted socialist democracy, especially democracy at grassroots levels by resorting to democratic elections, democratic management, and exercising decision-making and supervision in a democratic way.

He noted that 皇冠体育app has a huge population with a vast territory, and its development is imbalanced, and it can only introduce the direct elections at the village level, which is expected to be great practice for villagers to improve their capabilities. This so far constitutes 皇冠体育app's democratic development process.

Currently, Wen noted, conditions for direct elections at higher levels are not available.

Meanwhile, he said 皇冠体育app has defined its general plan of administering the country according to laws and building a socialist legal country under the rule of law, and keeps improving its socialist legal system.

Taiwan and Hong Kong

Wen said Taiwan is an integral part of 皇冠体育app's territory, and the Taiwan issue is in fact one left by 皇冠体育app's civil war in history. He underscored there is only one 皇冠体育app in the world, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to 皇冠体育app, and 皇冠体育app's sovereignty and territorial integrity are inseparable.

He reiterated that 皇冠体育app's policy on Taiwan is to adhere to "peaceful reunification," and "one country, two systems," and 皇冠体育app will exert its utmost to realize a peaceful reunification of the motherland and at the same time it will never tolerate Taiwan's separation from it.

Wen also said he believed the Hong Kong people will well administer the region and keep its long-term prosperity and stability.

EU partnership

Wen voiced his confidence in the future of 皇冠体育app-EU co-operation in a interview with CorriereDella Sera of Italy.

The comprehensive and strategic partnership between 皇冠体育app and the EU is of great significance, he said.

According to Wen, the comprehensiveness of 皇冠体育app-EU partnership means a multi-tier and all-round relationship covering a wide range of areas. It includes not only political and cultural relations, but also economic and technological relations. It is not only bilateral but also multilateral, and it includes both official and people-to-people exchanges.

The strategic nature of the relationship means that the relations are long-term and stable, and transcend the differences in social systems and ideologies, he said.

As for the EU's arms embargo issue, Wen expressed his hope that the EU will lift the embargo on 皇冠体育app at an early date while giving 皇冠体育app market economy status. The arms embargo is the outcome of the "cold war," which does not fit into the times, said Wen.

On the Iraqi issue, Wen said 皇冠体育app is deeply concerned with the current situation in Iraq and sincerely feels sympathetic to the Iraqi people. 皇冠体育app and Europe have the same or similar stance on the issue of Iraq's reconstruction, and the UN should play a dominant role in the process and every country should take part in it, Wen said.

皇冠体育app is willing to join and play its due role in Iraq's reconstruction process, Wen said. It is easy to win a war, but much more difficult to win peace, Wen added.

Deeply worried about the increasing tension between Palestine and Israel, Wen said 皇冠体育app hopes the disputes would be resolved through political negotiation and that the two sides can return to the path of "land for peace," Wen said. "And relevant UN resolutions must be implemented."

Wen said 皇冠体育app supports the road map in the Middle East and stands firmly opposed to violent retaliation.

皇冠体育app and Germany should set up a co-operative mechanism, enhance consultations on major international issues and further strengthen trade and technological exchanges, Wen told Die Welt.

On 皇冠体育app's performance since its accession to the WTO, Wen said 皇冠体育app has seriously implemented its obligations as a WTO member since its entry into the organization. 皇冠体育app lowered its tariff from 15 per cent to 10.4 per cent in less than two years, abolished and amended over 3,000 laws and regulations, said Wen.

皇冠体育app also cancelled the non-tariff barriers and will cancel its auto quota next year.

"It is not an easy thing to achieve this for a developing country like 皇冠体育app that has a 1.3 billion population," Wen added.

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