Pushing forward reforms

The reform priorities outlined by the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, are meant to streamline its economic structure and bureaucracy as a way of promoting its economic transformation and steady growth.

That the commission on Friday made public 22 major tasks in seven key fields in a guideline to deepen economic reform demonstrates the authorities' greater courage and confidence in putting themselves under public oversight.

Deepening administrative reform, including restructuring government functions, reducing its approval power and innovation of public services, is top of the agenda. There have been loud calls that the government should reduce its intervention in economic activities and give the market a bigger role to inject more vigor into the economy, especially at a time when China's economy is on an irreversible trajectory of deceleration.