VI. Strengthening Government Reform and Improvement Efforts

The government must constantly work harder to reform and improve itself in order to function well under the new circumstances. We have defined three basic norms for the work of the government over the past few years, namely, scientific and democratic decision making, administration in accordance with the law and stronger administrative oversight. We have paid close attention to fully exercising the government's functions and worked to improve public administration and public services and establish sound mechanisms for responding to public emergencies. We have advanced the reform of the administrative examination and approval system. We have formulated and put into operation the Program for Advancing All Aspects of Government Administration in Accordance with the Law. Finally, we have strengthened supervision and auditing, thus intensifying efforts to combat corruption and build a clean government. The government has made important strides in reforming and improving itself.

In working harder to reform and improve the government, we must always put people first and run the government for the people, and take fulfilling, safeguarding and developing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as both our starting point and objective. We must proceed from China's actual conditions and fully integrate the leadership of the Party, the people's position as the masters of the country and the running of the government according to the rule of law. We must constantly improve the socialist market economy and promote comprehensive, balanced and sustainable economic and social development. We must make innovations in the systems and means of government administration, and increase transparency and public participation in government affairs. Our objective is to build a just, transparent, hard-working, efficient, honest, upright and clean government that follows a well-defined code of conduct, a government with which the people are satisfied.

For some time to come, we need to work to standardize government powers, adjust and optimize government structure and the division of responsibility, improve the methods used to administer government affairs and deliver services, actively take steps to make administrative affairs more open, accelerate the development of e-government and government websites, improve the overall quality of civil servants, comprehensively increase administrative efficiency and strengthen the public's trust in the government. All these efforts have one main purpose, namely, to transform the way the government functions. This year we will focus on the following three tasks.

One is to improve the macroeconomic regulatory system, continue the work of separating government administration from enterprise management, and deepen reform of the administrative examination and approval system to reduce the number of items subject to administrative examination and approval and improve efficiency.

Two is to improve public administration and public services, increase the government's ability to provide basic public services and strive to resolve the issues of greatest concern to the people. Three is to standardize administrative actions in accordance with the law, work hard to build a clean government and combat corruption, and improve the system for punishing and preventing corruption that combines education, regulation and oversight.

We will work vigorously to improve the government's work style. One important task we are now facing is to deal with the serious problem of extravagance and waste in some government bodies. Quite a few local governments, government offices and organizations compete with one another for lavishness and spend money hand over foot, which arouses strong public resentment. We must put a resolute stop to these unhealthy practices. We will strictly control the construction and expansion of government office buildings, absolutely stop the construction of more luxury government building projects, truly standardize official entertaining, plug up loopholes in management rules, and work to reduce government overhead and build a conservation-minded government.

Fellow Deputies,

Building a solid national defense system and a powerful people's army is a strategic task in socialist modernization. We must continue to take as our guide Mao Zedong's military thinking, Deng Xiaoping's thinking on strengthening the army in the new period, and Jiang Zemin's thinking on developing national defense and strengthening the army, and strictly follow the important guidelines of Comrade Hu Jintao on strengthening the army. We must comprehensively put into practice the Scientific Outlook on Development, effectively carry out the historic mission of the army in the new stage of the new century, continue to give high priority to raising the overall ideological and political standards of the army, energetically work for progress in military reform with Chinese characteristics, and ensure a high degree of stability, centralization and unity in the army in order to provide a solid and strong guarantee for China's security, unity and modernization. We must energetically carry out the transformation from military training based on mechanized warfare to military training for warfare under conditions of greater IT application to increase the troops' ability to fight a defensive IT war. We will intensify defense-related research and efforts to produce advanced weaponry and equipment. We will carry out development and reform of the military logistics system. We will continue to run the army in accordance with the law and high standards and work to raise its level of standardization. We must improve all aspects of the People's Armed Police to make it better able to enforce the law, respond to emergencies, combat terrorism and safeguard national stability. We will expand public education in national defense and improve the system for national defense mobilization. We will encourage government agencies and the public to support the army and give preferential treatment to families of service personnel and martyrs, urge the army to support the government and respect civilians, and support the army and the people in working together to promote cultural and ethical progress. We will consolidate and develop solidarity between the army and the government and between the army and the people.

Fellow Deputies,

We will continue to unswervingly uphold the principle of "one country, two systems," under which Hong Kong people administer Hong Kong and Macao people administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy. We will strictly comply with the basic laws of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and give our full support to their chief executives and governments in administering the two regions in accordance with the law and in their efforts to promote economic development, improve the lives of their populations and strengthen harmony. We will increase exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao in the areas of the economy, trade, science, technology, education, culture, health and sports. Let us work together with people from all sectors of society in Hong Kong and Macao to safeguard the long-term prosperity and stability of the two regions.

We remain committed to the basic principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and to all the policies for developing relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and promoting China's peaceful reunification under the changed circumstances. We will unite with Taiwan compatriots in firm opposition to all forms of secessionist activities such as calls for Taiwan independence through legislation. We will firmly adhere to the main goal of promoting development of peaceful cross-straits relations, vigorously expand exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, promote resumption of direct links for postal, air and shipping services and trade, and make every effort with the utmost sincerity to seek peace, development and prosperity for the people on both sides. We will continue to step up dialogue and exchanges on the basis of the one-China principle with all political parties in Taiwan that advocate development of cross-straits relations. We will strive to resume dialogue an d negotiations between the two sides as soon as possible and work for greater peace and stability in cross-straits relations. We firmly believe that with the efforts of all Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots, complete reunification of China will definitely be realized!

Follow Deputies,

Taking both the international and domestic situations into consideration, during the last year we actively advocated the building of a harmonious world, promoted comprehensive development of our relations with other countries, and contributed to the development of all countries and the safeguarding of world peace.

We call for and promote the building of a harmonious world, which is in line with the trend of the times in the world today and reflects the common interests and aspirations of people across the globe. This embodies a firm commitment on the part of the Chinese government and people to work for world peace and progress. In order to build a harmonious world, there must be political equality and democracy, mutually beneficial economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges that promote common progress, and countries of the world must work together in friendly cooperation to address traditional and non-traditional global security threats and bring about lasting peace and common prosperity for the whole world. In the face of a complicated and fluid international situation, we need to hold high the banner of peace, development and cooperation, firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development, steadfastly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, maintain friendly relations with other countries based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, safeguard China's sovereignty, security and interests, ensure that China is able to take advantage of this period of important strategic opportunities, and create a favorable external environment for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and accelerating socialist modernization.

We will vigorously develop exchanges and cooperation with other countries in the fields of the economy, trade, science, technology, culture, education and sports, increase understanding and friendship between our peoples, develop the image of China as a peaceful, democratic, culturally advanced and progressive country, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals and corporations overseas, and respect and protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign nationals in China in accordance with the law.

We will work untiringly with the people of all other countries for a harmonious world with lasting peace and prosperity for all.

Fellow Deputies,

Looking ahead, we see the future holds bright prospects for our great motherland. Our mission is lofty and sacred, and our responsibilities are both arduous and glorious. Let us unite closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, fully put into practice the Scientific Outlook on Development and accelerate the building of a harmonious socialist society. Let us work together with one heart and one mind, blaze new trails, and energetically progress with reform, opening up and socialist modernization!

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