"I have confidence in China's economic development in the future. After more than 30 years of reforming and opening to the outside world, China continues to improve the system of market-oriented economy, deepen economic reforms, stimulate the vitality of market entities and further mobilize the initiative and creativity of the public to propel economic growth."

 

　　The chief economic planner says last year's growth rate of 7.8 percent still deserves applause, though it was down from the 9.3 percent the year earlier.

 

　　Zhang Ping says the growth was the highest among major economies on the backdrop of the global financial crisis.

 

　　He also says boosting domestic consumption is "the most effective tool" to overcome the impact from the global financial crisis.

 

　　"China will unswervingly adhere to expanding domestic demand which is our starting point of strategy and economic development."

 

　　At the same time, Zhang Ping has acknowledged the problems facing the world's second-largest economy.

 

　　Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in his last ever government work report at the opening of the annual parliament session that those problems are "unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable."

 

　　Chief economic planner Zhang Ping says the central government is drafting a plan to guide the country's urbanization drive.

 

　　He says the guidelines will be designed to make China's urbanization process healthier and run in a more orderly fashion.

 

　　"We should control the expansion of metropolises and big cities, while paying more attention to the development of small- and medium-sized cities and towns."

 

　　Zhang Ping also says the country must address the problem of industrial overcapacity through systematic reforms.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Su Yi.