Stimulus methods dominate agenda

Dealing with the global economic downturn and jobs will be high on the agenda of lawmakers and political advisors when they meet in Beijing early next month for the annual parliamentary sessions, analysts have said.

The Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) is set to begin on March 5. The NPC is the country's top legislature.

NPC deputies and economic analysts said the upcoming discussions are likely to focus on spurring domestic demand to maintain economic growth as exports slump, amid what Premier Wen Jiabao has said will be the toughest economic year so far in the new millennium.

Beijing-based economist Wang Xiaoguang said China must rely more on consumption and investment over the next several years. Expanding domestic demand is both an emergency response measure and a long-term strategy for economic growth, he was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.

Methods of boosting domestic demand are expected to be a hot issue at the meetings.

Policies to create jobs and enhance training programs, as well as favorable policies to encourage entrepreneurship among the 20 million migrant workers who are said to have lost jobs and 6 million new college graduates will also be discussed, said Xue Lan, associate dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University.

The meetings will also continue to spotlight the implementation at the central and local levels of the new reform plan by the Ministry of Health, which is expected to pump 850 billion yuan into the sector in three years, Xue said.

Concern over food security, fueled by a slew of scandals last year including melamine-tainted milk products, is also expected to feature in the sessions.

Other expected topics include anti-corruption efforts, education reform, property prices, and the reconstruction of quake-hit regions.

Last year, the First Session of the 11th NPC endorsed new leadership, with nearly 3,000 deputies elected.

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