The State Council’s fifth plenary meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Jan 20, discussed drafts of the Government Work Report as well as the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, slated for deliberation at the 4th session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC).

It was also decided at the meeting that the drafts open for public comment will be sent to provincial-level and central government departments to seek their opinions.

Reporting its work to the NPC and accepting supervision from the people is an important obligation enshrined in the Constitution for the State Council, and is of great significance to boosting government work, Premier Li said.

Drafting the Government Work Report and the Outline requires listening to views coming from all walks of life to create a powerful force for development, he said.

The Premier highlighted the hard-won accomplishments of China in the past year amid unprecedented severe shocks from the COVID-19 epidemic and a global economic recession, thanks to concerted efforts across the country.

That, he said, included making major strategic achievements in epidemic prevention and control, stabilizing economic fundamentals, with positive growth for the whole year and gross domestic product exceeding the 100-trillion-yuan ($15.46 trillion) mark, and taking new steps in reform and opening-up.

The year also saw the successful conclusion of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, featuring historic results in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and a decisive victory in the battle against poverty, he said.

As China enters the first five years of its new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, the Premier stressed efforts to bring into greater play the initiative of the central government, local governments and all parties.

He called for solving the development problem through reform and opening-up, advancing major strategic initiatives, and making greater progress in optimizing and upgrading economic structure, improving people’s livelihoods and pursuing high-quality development.

Premier Li said that China’s development is still facing tremendous challenges and uncertainties, which requires the government to enhance epidemic prevention and control while maintaining the continuity, stability and sustainability of macro policies.

China should continue to support economic recovery, spend more efforts in scientific and technological innovation, and intensify the reform and opening-up, so that enterprises can be more confident in development, said the Premier.

He also stressed that government should resolve practical problems of concern to people and guard against risks.

Concerns of the people and enterprises should be solicited, to help bring the government’s work and policies in line with reality and more targeted, and to further spur the vitality of market entities and social creativity, according to the Premier.

All regions and departments are urged to enhance the sense of responsibility and urgency, and implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Vice-Premiers Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He, and State Councilors Wang Yong, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi also attended the meeting.