Wen addresses press conference (full text)
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-15 02:11

China Central Television: You have spoken on many occasions that the economic priority for 2005 is to further promote reform and you have called this year "a year of reform." In your report on the government's work, you emphasize that the task for this year is to deepen reform unswervingly, and to remove the structural integument to economic growth. Then in your view, what are the most urgent issues to be addressed this year?

Wen: Right, I have said on many occasions that this year is "a year of reform."

I said so for three reasons: First, to eliminate the destabilizing and unhealthy factors in the economy and to solidify the achievements of macro regulations will have to rely on reform.

Second, to address the deeply rooted problems in the economy and achieve a restructured transformation of the economic growth pattern will rely on reform.

Third, to realize social fairness and justice and build a harmonious society will also have to rely on reform.

Reform is not a task for any single year. It is going to be a long-term task. And, in many cases with regard to reform, "sooner is better than later." Otherwise the problems will become too entrenched to unravel.

For this year, there are five priorities in our reform.

First, to restructure government bodies and to transform the functions of the government.

Second, to promote State-owned enterprise reform, focusing on corporate governance and share-holding systems.

Third, to promote financial reform, which is a critical and often problematic aspect of our economy and requires great efforts from us.

Fourth, rural reform. Centring on reform of the rural taxes and administrative fees, the purpose is to change those elements in the superstructure in the rural area that are no longer consistent with the economic phase.

And fifth, social security reform. We must step up the development of a social security system that is suitable for China's reality. This is a year of reform, but it is not only so. It is a year we are going to fight the toughest battle in the reform process.

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