Premeir Wen Jiabao on Sunday called for intensified and consistent efforts to reduce poverty in China's poor areas

The imbalance of living standards in Xinjiang is a regional problem rather than an ethnic one, a senior local official said here Sunday.

A Chinese religious leader warned here Saturday against penetration and secessionist activities by hostile forces both in and outside China in the name of religion in Xinjiang that was rocked by a deadly riot eight months ago.

A 17 percent year-on-year increase in China's broad money supply, and a target of 7.5 trillion yuan (US$1.1 billion) for this year, indicated a relatively easy monetary policy, said Su Ning, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank.

Premier Wen Jiabao's latest pledge to narrow the income gap comes at the most appropriate time. Highlights of Wen's report

Wei Feiyan, deputy to the National People's Congress from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and chairman of the Huahong Pharmaceutical Corp, says that encouraging the use of Chinese medicine should be adopted as a national strategy.

China has no plan for military expansion as its development of national defense is for its own security, a Navy testing base commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said here Friday morning.

Amending China's Electoral Law is expected to give rural residents as much say in national decision-making as their urban counterparts. Military spending slows No interference on Taiwan, Tibet 

Government should create more ways for public to report corruption

Chinese President Hu Jintao said Thursday the country's private businesses are now standing on a new starting line and urged them to seize opportunities for development.