国内英语新闻:Chinese Vice Premier urges steady, fast economic growth in next five years

BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang has urged more efforts to maintain steady and rapid economic growth and accelerate the transformation of the economic development pattern over the next five years.

Li made the remarks Wednesday at a seminar on goals and policies of China's key 12th Five-year (2011-2015) Plan, according to a statement by the State Council, or China's Cabinet, on Thursday.

At the seminar, the State Council solicited advice from senior officials of Tianjin Municipality, Jilin, Jiangsu, Henan, Yunnan and Gansu provinces, on the draft of the guidelines of the five-year plan.

After listening to suggestions from provincial-level officials, Vice Premier Li said it is imperative for local governments to accelerate the transformation of the economic development pattern, while maintaining steady and rapid economic growth in the long term to benefit all Chinese people.

As for the work next year, Li said local governments should more actively and prudently handle the relationship between keeping steady and rapid economic development, restructuring the economy and managing inflation expectations.

"More efforts should be provided to stabilize prices next year," he told the seminar.

When planning goals and strategies for the development over the next five years, Li said, major indicators, such as the economic growth rates, should be defined "reasonably" and binding targets should be emphasized.

Over the next five years, China will open wider to the outside world, expand its domestic consumption, push the reform of the income distribution system, create more jobs and improve its basic public service and social security system, he said.

Li noted that local governments should work hard to allow residents' income growth to keep pace with the economic growth rate, and assure that laborers' wage hikes reflect productivity increases.