Premier Li Keqiang kick-started China’s parliamentary session by
outlining the economic growth target for the nation and pledging to stop
foreign interference in Hong Kong.To get more news about
LiangHui 2021, you can visit shine news official website.
In his 30-page government work report delivered at the National
People’s Congress on Friday morning, Li said China still faced a series
of challenges, ranging from lack of growth momentum to problems arising
from the Covid-19 pandemic. He pledged measures to boost long-term
growth, with a focus on innovation and tax cuts.Li said the central
government would ensure the “comprehensive and accurate” implementation
of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”
and “high degree of autonomy”.
“We will resolutely guard against and deter external forces’
interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macau. We will support both
regions as they grow their economies and improve people’s lives, so as
to maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and
Macau,” he said.
Expanding on the plan to reform the Hong Kong electoral system, NPC
Standing Committee vice-chairman Wang Chen said there were loopholes in
Hong Kong that allowed foreign forces to interfere in the city’s
affairs. Some even used their public office to call for such
interference.
“The risks in the system need to be removed, and a democratic
electoral system with Hong Kong characteristics needs to be
established,” he said.Bracing for more fallout from the Covid-19
pandemic, Li said China’s GDP growth for 2021 would be “above 6 per
cent”.
The Chinese economy still faced challenges, including weak domestic
consumption and struggles for small and medium-sized enterprises, and
the risk of unemployment was on the rise, he said.
To offset those challenges, Li said China would try to keep the
urban unemployment rate at about 5.5 per cent, and aim for a consumer
price index of about 3 per cent this year.Li said training for the
People’s Liberation Army would be boosted, raising their readiness for
battle. He said better coordination to address security risks was
needed.
The military budget for 2021 would increase to 1.355 trillion yuan.
The 6.8 per cent increase is slightly higher than the 6.6 per cent
growth last year.Earlier, analysts expected defence budget growth would
be lower, at about 6 per cent, because China was still battling the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The Wall