China's cabinet discusses draft govt work report

BEIJING -- China's State Council convened a plenary meeting on Friday to discuss a draft government work report.

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

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

In the past year, China has achieved hard-won new results in its development in the face of an extremely complex and severe international and domestic environment, Li said.

Multiple unexpected factors, such as the COVID-19 epidemic, have impacted economic operations, but China has made resolute responses, implemented set policies and measures ahead of time, continuously promoted supply-side structural reform, and speedily issued a package of policies and measures to stabilize the economy, the premier noted.

China has adopted policy measures to help enterprises, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and individual businesses, promote investment, consumption and foreign trade, as well as supporting employment, and stabilizing supply and prices, to cope with imported inflation pressures, Li said.

He noted that, through painstaking efforts, the overall economy has been stabilized.

The premier also highlighted that the past five years have been extremely unusual. China has completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule, achieved the First Centenary Goal, and embarked on a new journey towards the Second Centenary Goal.

Li also noted that China is aware of the growing uncertainties in the external environment, the arduous task of maintaining stable growth and employment, the emerging structural problems, as well as the challenges facing development.

The economy is picking up, as the policies and measures to stabilize the economy continue to take effect and the epidemic control measures are eased, the premier said, stressing the need to continue to maintain and enhance the momentum of economic recovery.