外语寰宇

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十届全国人年夜三次集会终结 IT总理答中外记者问

Wen addresses press conference

2005年3月14日

十届全国人年夜三次集会于3月14日上午在人夷易比年夜会堂终结。会后，国务院总理IT应年夜会动静谈话人的约请，与采访年夜会的中外记者见面并回答记者的发问。

The following is a full transcript of questions and answers at Premier Wen Jiabao's press conference on March 14, 2005.

Wen: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. As you know, there are more than 2,000 journalists from China and abroad covering the NPC and CPPCC sessions. However, due to the limited seating capacity of this hall, only about 700 of them are present here. I'd like to use this opportunity to express my thanks to the journalists for their interest in China's reform and development as well as their objective and fair coverage of China.

Let me also say, as a matter of fact, every person in China has great interest in the affairs of their own country. Yesterday I logged onto xinIT.com and saw hundreds of questions raised by ordinary people, since they knew I was going to give a press conference. I was deeply touched by their interest in national affairs. Many of their proposals and suggestions narrowed the serious consideration of the government.

Now the session of the NPC is over, yet the road ahead could be rather bumpy. We must be mindful of potential problems and get fully prepared for the worst. We must be sober-mined, cautious, prudent especially when the situation is getting a little better.

Our nation has gone through so many disasters and hardships in history that we are now blessed with the essence of urgency, determination for survival and aspirations for peace and development. Our country is so big, problems so numerous and complicated. And we, as a nation, must have courage to overcome difficulty, confidence to win and dauntless spirit to work hard and prevail.

Today I'm here at this press conference ready to answer your questions. I'll speak from my heart. I'm neither nervous nor afraid.

Xinhua: Last year, you said macro-regulation was a new and severe task for the government. It was no easier a task than fighting against SARS. Now that a year has passed could you comment on last year's work with regard to macro regulation? Could you speak to new features and characteristics of macro regulation for this year? Will you intensify the policy measures?

Wen: In the past couple of years, we have been facing a battle of contact in terms of economic development. To fight this battle, we have combined a series of policies. We can say now these policy measurers have achieved remarkable results.

We have been successful in avoiding major ups and downs in the economy, preventing excessive price hikes, keeping prices at a stable level and maintaining steady and fairly rapid economic growth. Now we must not slacken in our efforts in the slightest way. The situation we are facing now is like going upstream. If we don't forge ahead, we will be left lagging behind. Let me put the problems we face in proper prospective.

First, the foundation for macro regulation needs to be consolidated further. We face considerable difficulty in further raising grain output and increasing farmers' income. In particular, because of price rises in capital goods, it is more difficult for us to achieve these goals in terms of increasing grain output and farmers' incomes. Moreover, investment growth in fixed assets may pick up again. Coal, electricity, oil and transportation are in short supply. In the first two months of this year, power generation has increased by 12 per cent. Yet 25 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities experienced blackouts. In the economy, the supply chain is overstretched.

Second, we are facing a series of dilemmas in our economy. For example, a slow economic growth rate won't do, because it would make it more difficult for us to create jobs, increase revenue, and engage in necessary undertakings for society. Yet too fast economic growth rate won't do either, because it may make the economy to stretched out for a long time in an unsustainable situation.

Third, the problems we face in China's economy can all boil down to structural problems, growth patterns and institutional problems. All these deep-rooted and underlying problems will take time to be addressed. In a word, the top priority for the government is to further strengthen and improve macro regulative policy measures in order to sustain a steady and fairly rapid economic growth rate.

If a journey is 100 miles, travelling 90 is half of it. We must not stop and we must not waste our previous efforts. In the meantime, we must also take special attention to differentiated treatment for different situations. We must take both administrative and economic means to achieve macro regulative objectives.

Bloomberg: A lot of social problems have cropped up in the course of rapid economic development in China, and one of them is the wealth gap. To address problems facing agriculture, rural areas and farmers is top on your agenda. But some people are saying unless farmers are granted the right to use land or they are transferred the ownership of the land, it is impossible to solve the problems. Do you think it is possible to grant farmers land use rights or give them the ownership of the land?

Wen: China's reform started in the countryside. China's rural reform started with the right to manage land by farmers. In the countryside, land is under collective ownership. In the early days of the reform and opening up, the first step we adopted in the countryside was to set up the family contract responsibility system. Farmers were given the right to manage their land, and such rights of the farmer have been extended time and again. Now I can say directly that farmers' autonomy to manage their land won't change for a long time. Actually it will never change.

ERA News from Taiwan: The just-concluded session of National People's Congress adopted the Anti-Secession Law by an overwhelming majority. The passage of the new law has been a subject of great interest to many people. People are especially interested in a section of the law which provides for continued exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

My questions are: Under the framework of the new law, what specific measures will the State Council adopt to promote the continued exchanges?

Moreover, there are many business people from Taiwan living in cities on the mainland, either doing business or they have already settled down. Will this law affect their interests? If not, will the law actually turn out to be promoting and protecting their interests?

Wen: Let me first ask you a question: "Have you read the law?"

ERA News: I have some knowledge of the law and I've read the explanatory notes related to the law.

Wen: I must thank this journalist from Taiwan for raising this question.

First of all, let me send my greeting to the 23 million compatriots in Taiwan.

Your question actually gets to the essence of this law. This law is meant to strengthen and promote cross-Straits relations. This is the law for the peaceful reunification, and it is not targeted against the people in Taiwan, nor is it a war bill.

The law has clearly provided for promoting personnel exchanges, encouraging and facilitating economic co-operation, including "three direct links" between the two sides, encouraging and facilitating exchanges between the two sides in educational, scientific, technological and cultural fields.

The law has also provided for protection of the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan business people.

The law is matched to check and oppose Taiwan Independence forces.

Only by checking and opposing Taiwan independence forces, will peace emerge in the Taiwan Straits.

Peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits will create favourable conditions for Taiwan business people to invest in the mainland and also for foreign investors to come to the mainland.

You ask for specific measures, that is, according to the recent important remarks made by Party Secretary-General Hu Jintao on the question of Taiwan, we will protect the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan business people in the mainland; for anything that is conducive to the people of Taiwan, we will do it.

First, we should promptly make cross-Straits charter passenger flights available not only on traditional festivals, but also on a more permanent basis.

Second, we should adopt measures to address the issues related to sales of agricultural products from Taiwan, especially, southern Taiwan to the mainland.

Third, we should promptly solve problems so that fishermen from the mainland can continue their contract labour services in Taiwan. There are other favourable policies and convenient measures we will adopt for this purpose.

Reuters: The renminbi question has been the focus of world attention, with many foreign trading partners urging China to adopt a more flexible exchange rate. China has said it could be a long term process, but what reform plans do you favour now? And, when will the first change occur?

Wen: China's exchange rate reform actually started in 1994 and it has not stopped even today. Our objective for the reform is to create a market-based, managed and floating exchange rate.

When we consider reform plans, our purpose is to make the exchange rate more responsive to supply and demand in the market. What we have been doing is to lay a solid foundation for such reform. A number of necessary conditions would include first, macroeconomic stability and growth, and second, a healthy financial situation.

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