BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China will continue the proactive fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policy next year, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee agreed Friday.

    Bureau members at a meeting chaired by President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, agreed the government would maintain continuity and stability in its macroeconomic policies.

    More efforts would be made to improve the quality and efficiency of economic growth, to promote the transformation of the economic development pattern and structural adjustments, according to a statement released after the meeting.

    The Political Bureau vowed to enhance the focus and flexibility of economic policy in the following year according to new situations. It would also further implement and enrich the economic stimulus package to make the economy grow in a more stable, balanced and sustainable way.

    China's economy grew 8.9 percent year on year in the third quarter this year, accelerating from 7.9 percent in the second quarter and 6.1 percent in the first quarter.

    The statement also said that more efforts would be made to promote reform, opening up and innovation, improve people's livelihood and maintain social stability and enhance the vigor and momentum of economic growth.

    During next year's economic work, the government would improve policies to spur consumption and ensure investment grow at a reasonable pace, it said.

    The government aims to boost domestic demand, especially the sustainable increase in consumption next year. It also vows to improve policies to stabilize external demand, actively increase imports and encourage companies to invest overseas, said the statement.

    The statement called for improvements and implementation of policies to encourage private investment as well as increasing support to sectors including agriculture, science and technology, education, public health, culture, social security, energy saving and environmental protection.

    The bureau pledged to "actively" deal with climate change next year by implementing measures to cut its carbon intensity and improve energy efficiency, according to the statement.

    The government would step up construction of major projects related to energy conservation and environmental protection in 2010, the statement said.

    Other issues on the 2010 economic work agenda included enhancing efforts to boost employment, promoting development in rural areas and increasing farmers' earnings, implementing stimulus plans to support key industries, and deepening the reform of medical and health system, according to the statement.

    Days before the Political Bureau meeting, President Hu chaired a meeting to solicit opinions on economic work from non-communist personages. Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Li Keqiang attended the meeting Tuesday.

    "Year 2009 is the toughest year for China's economic development since the beginning of the new century," said Hu at the meeting. "However, we have made efforts to seek opportunities from challenges, and have taken the lead globally in the recovery of the general economic situation."

    Next year will be very critical as it will be the last year of China's 11th five-year plan (2006-2010), and economic and social development in the year will lay a foundation for the next five-year plan, said Hu.

    Hu encouraged the non-Communist personages to closely follow the new changes in the international economic environment and China's economic development process to give advice on the ruling party's economic work.

China's commerce minister urges to promote service trade in economic recovery

    BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Tuesday urged the promotion of global service trade as an important approach to revive the world economy.

    Speaking at an industrial conference held here Tuesday, the minister said the world economy was already on a steady path of recovery, but revival of international trade would take a longer time.  Full story

China asks banks to avoid big fluctuations in lending

    BEIJING, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's banking regulator on Monday asked the country's commercial banks to better manage risks and avoid year-end volatility in lending.

    Commercial banks should ensure that lending increase was kept in a stable and sustainable pace, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said. Full story

Chinese central bank governor: Low rates could discourage financing real economy

    BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Low interest rates, especially the deposit rate, would discourage financial institutions from providing adequate financing to the real economy, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said Friday.

    He told the 2009 Business Week CEO Forum in Beijing that low interest rates would reduce pressure on financial institutions, removing incentives to actively provide financial services to the real economy. Full story

China's industrial output expects to grow 10.5% for entire 2009: minister

    BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's industrial output is expected to grow by about 16 percent year on year this month and in December and the full year industrial output growth could reach around 10.5 percent, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong said here Saturday.

　  At the 3-day International CEO Roundtable conference, Li said the industrial output growth would guarantee the manufacturing-based Chinese economy should achieve its full-year growth target of 8 percent. Full story

China's industrial output, investment up in Oct., showing stronger revival     

    BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's industrial output, investment and retail sales registered robust growth in October, while the export slump pace slowed, as the economy saw a more consolidated recovery of growth.

    China's industrial output rose 16.1 percent in October from a year earlier, the sixth consecutive month with an acceleration of year-on-year growth. Full story