Beijing will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and it will actively work to develop global partnerships and promote the building of a new type of international relations and a human community with a shared future, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said.
In the report on the ‘Work of the Government’, the Chinese Premier on March 5 outlined the main targets for development this year, the Chinese embassy in Dhaka in a statement on Tuesday.
Those are GDP growth of over six percent, over 11 million new urban jobs, a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, CPI increase of around three percent, steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports, a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments, steady growth in personal income, a further improvement in the environment, a drop of around three percent in energy consumption per unit of GDP, a continued reduction in the discharge of major pollutants, and grain output of over 650 million metric tons.
Premier Li stressed that, to achieve the targets, China will ensure the continuity, consistency, and sustainability of macro policies to keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range.
The VAT threshold for small-scale taxpayers will be raised from 100,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan in monthly sales.
China will advance reforms in key areas and further energize market entities. Average rates for broadband and dedicated internet access services for small and medium enterprises will be lowered by another 10 percent.
The port development fee will be abolished. China will promote high-quality development of the real economy through innovation and foster new growth drivers.
Research institutes will have more say about how funds should be used, and the mechanisms for assessing projects and evaluating personnel will be refined.
China will make scientific explorations and major breakthroughs in key technologies, just as a blacksmith in the past would spend years forging the perfect sword. China will expand domestic demand as a strategic move and fully tap the potential of the domestic market.
It will encourage steady increases in spending on home appliances, automobiles, and other big-ticket items, and abolish excessive restrictions on sales of second-hand vehicles.
China will implement the rural revitalization strategy across the board and promote steady development of agriculture and growth in rural incomes.
China will align efforts to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation with efforts to promote rural revitalization. It will pursue high-standard opening-up and promote stable and improved performance in foreign trade and investment.
China will work for the early entry into force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the signing of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.
It will enhance pollution prevention and control and ecological conservation and promote continuous environmental improvement.
Clean heating will account for 70 percent of all heating in northern China. China will take solid steps toward the goals of achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality and improve living standards and steadily advance social development.
Li said, in 2021, China will continue to apply and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and fully implement the policies on ethnic affairs, religious affairs and overseas Chinese affairs.
It will stay true to the letter and spirit of the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy; China will resolutely guard against and deter external forces’ interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao.
China will support both regions as they grow their economies and improve people’s lives. China remains committed to the major principles and policies on work related to Taiwan, to the One-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and to promoting the peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Strait and China’s reunification, said the Premier.
