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Interview: China to continue modernizing its economy: MEP

Xinhua, March 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Member of European Parliament (MEP) Jo Leinen told Xinhua in a recent interview that China would continue modernizing its economy in the future.

Leinen, chair of the Delegation for Relations with China in the European Parliament, made the remarks when commenting on the just-concluded annual session of China's national legislature, during which a development blueprint for the next five years has been approved.

Noting that in the 2016-2020 period, China will pursue innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, Leinen said the five pillars are the cornerstones for the next five years, and he thought the National People's Congress (NPC) made the right choice.

He said that it is inevitable that no country can get a very high-speed growth rate every year, especially when there is a moment of transition to promote service-oriented and consumption-oriented economic patterns.

"That (the economic transition) is happening now in China. It will be more clean and innovative, and it must be more open," he said, noting that due to the development of the internet and communication, to be open could get more opportunities.

He said the European side now "looks with wide-open eyes at what was happening in the transition in China from the old economy to the new economy, which is innovative and resource-efficient," adding that he thought Europe would like Chinese government to manage the transition.

Leinen said that as European economies went through different steps and transitions, the European side is ready to share relevant experiences with China.

He also pointed out that the Delegation for Relations with China in the European Parliament is aimed to increase mutual understanding and cooperation between Europe and China, and to inform members of the European Parliament about what dialogues the delegation have with its Chinese partners, including the NPC, the Chinese government and other parts of Chinese society like think-tanks and civil society organizations.

The annual session of top China's legislature closed on Wednesday, with approvals of the government work report and the 13th Five-Year Plan, among other bills.

The plan outlines the policy framework, priorities and economic and social goals for 2016-2020, including an average annual growth rate of above 6.5 percent. Meeting the targets will be crucial to realizing the goal of building a "moderately prosperous society in all aspects" by 2020. Endit