BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council, or Cabinet, Wednesday called for greater efforts on economic reforms to boost domestic demand, improve economic structure and maintain relatively fast and sound economic development.

    An executive meeting of the Cabinet, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday, reviewed and passed a guidance document on deepening economic reforms in 2009.

    The document urged local governments to simplify administrative approval procedures to stimulate investment vitality and open more investment channels for the private sector.

    The State Councilors called for deeper reforms of state-owned enterprises and promoting the development of the non-public economy and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.

    Rural reforms, greater energy efficiency and pollution cuts, environmental protection, raising urban and rural residents' income and consumption capacity, deepening reforms in the scientific and technology sector should serve economic development, according to the document.

    The executive also called for more efficient reforms in medical, education, social security and housing sectors to build a better social safety net and raise people's willingness to spend more.

    China should facilitate financial reforms to build a well-structured, highly efficient and safe modern financial system. The nation should build an open economy on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, according to the document.

    The executive decided to lower the threshold in terms of capital pooled into the projects for investment in city transportation, coal mining, airports, ports, commercial housing, railways, roads and other sectors, a move to stimulate the investment enthusiasm from the public and companies and to better cope with the adverse effects of the global financial crisis. But it gave no further details.

    The executive decided to raise the threshold in terms of capital pooled into the projects for investment in high energy-consuming, high-polluting and resource-intensive industries, including electrolytic aluminum.

    The executive also pointed out that it was necessary to strengthen efforts on family planning work for the country's migrants to protect their legitimate rights. It would formulate a special regulation in this regard, without specifying the exact date.

China's economic planning agency to support rural health care reform

    BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's chief economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), will put more effort into building and perfecting a rural health care system.

    Zhang Ping, the NDRC director, told a work conference Monday that the commission would work with health care departments to invest in projects in China's vast hinterland. Full story

FM: China to continue reform of exchange rate process 

    BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday it had taken note of a U.S. report stating that the Chinese government did not manipulate the exchange rate of the yuan.

    "We will continue reform of the renminbi exchange rate mechanism," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press conference. She was responding to a question concerning the U.S. statement. Full story

Peace and stability help China to succeed 60 years reform 

    KATHMANDU, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Peace and stability asserted in China has succeeded it in rapid development in every sector, said Dr. Harish Chandra Shah in an interview with Xinhua here on Friday.

    In the context of China's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Shah said China has accomplished speeding development within a short time period which is undoubtedly an example for other nations to follow. Full story


From "salary limitation" to structure reform, China enhances management on SOEs 


    BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Finance on Thursday ordered state-owned financial institutions to impose a cap for top executives as part of the country's efforts to narrow gap between the rich and the poor.

    The new rule said that pay, including salary, bonus, and social insurance, for executives in 2008 should be no more than 90 percent of the level in 2007. Full story