(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-16 09:43

The Beijing economy is expected to grow by nine percent or above this year, lower than the growth rate of 12.5 percent which it is expected to have achieved last year, a local development official has said.

The Beijing municipal government also predicts that the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) will reach US$8,000 this year, up from US$7,000 last year, said Zhang Gong, director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Meanwhile, the government expects an actual growth of seven percent in terms of the per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents, Zhang said.

In 2007, the per capita disposable income grew by 10 percent for urban residents to 22,000 yuan (US$3,030) in Beijing, and eight percent for rural residents to 9,500 yuan (US$1,308).

Other major goals for 2008 include cutting energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan (US$1,377) of GDP by five percent -- as it has done in the past two years, emission of chemical oxygen demand (COD) by four percent and emission of sulphur dioxide by 10 percent, Zhang said.

Beijing will also work hard to ensure that the "blue sky" days -- or days with fairly good air quality -- will account for 70 percent of the total in 2008, or about 256 days, 10 days more than last year, he said.

"The Olympic Games and Paralymic Games are the top priorities for Beijing this year," Zhang said.

"Meanwhile, Beijing will pay more attention to energy conservation and emission reduction, improving people's livelihood, and building a resources-conserving society," he added.