International press and overseas experts have continued their extensive coverage and attention to the ongoing annual meetings of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), saying the meetings show China's confidence in overcoming difficulties and conquering challenges in the face of the global economic downturn.

They said China's performance is critical to the world's economic recovery.

Japan's Mainichi Shimbun newspaper praised Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's determination to sustain China's 8 percent annual economic growth, saying "the Chinese people have every confidence in Wen, whose firm and effective leadership is highly respected."

"As Japan's biggest trade partner, China's economic development has a direct bearing on Japan's economy," the newspaper said in an editorial.

"And international cooperation is of great importance in the process of China's economic development and the world's economic recovery," it said.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said China is under huge attention as it is the locomotive of the world's economy and its return to fast growth will be critical to the global economic recovery.

The Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial that the Western countries have universally paid attention to China's potential, and are expecting China's leadership in boosting world growth.

The Tokyo Shimbun said that the world is focusing on China because the Chinese market has great potential for growth this year.

China has become Japan's biggest trade partner and its measures will even decide Japan's economic recovery, it said.

The New York Times said despite unprecedented difficulties and challenges, Wen outlined a barrage of construction, increased subsidies and economic measures aimed at continuing his nation's modernization.

The Los Angeles Times said Wen put forward an aggressive plan of increased stimulus measures to keep the economy growing rapidly and maintain social stability. It said the government will boost spending on healthcare and social programs and take further steps to offset rising unemployment.

In an interview, the chairman of Argentina's Asia-Argentina Association, Gustaro Heraldo, said the Chinese government had issued a series of active measures to cope with the crisis, effectively helping to stabilize the international financial market.

The Chinese government has "very sufficient" measures to overcome the crisis, Heraldo said. He believed the two conferences being held in Beijing will support the government's policies to expand investment and stimulate domestic demand. At this gloomy time, this kind of support will help restore confidence among global investors and the public, he said.

China by expanding domestic demand will not only push its economy to develop quickly, but also help to accelerate the revival of the world economy, Heraldo said.

Eduardo Oviedo, an expert on Chinese issues at Argentina's Rosario University, said that China's accumulated national power and experience during the past 30 years of opening-up and reform, as well as the huge potential of the unexplored domestic market, offers strong support for China's policy to expand domestic demand.

As a large agricultural and export country, Argentina will pay close attention to the agricultural policies and measures to be adopted during the conferences, he said.

The chief of Argentina's Strategic Studies Institute, Jorge Castro, said Latin American countries are highly interested in the Chinese government's policies to deal with the current financial crisis. If China can get rid of the negative influence of the global financial crisis, Castro said, Latin American nations will also benefit from it.

Russia's RIA-NOVOSTI news agency said the world is now at a critical juncture, and all of us are paying attention to what measures China is going to take to tackle the global financial crisis.

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said Premier Wen Jiabao emphasized in his report to the National People's Congress (NPC) that strengthening the social safety net, improving medical services and increasing subsidies for the rural areas are at the top of the government's work priorities.

Romania's media reported that Wen had pledged his government will take measures to ensure that China's economy grows by 8 percent in 2009. China has the capability to tide over the global economic crisis by putting in place an investment plan totaling 4 trillion yuan (about US$590 billion).

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2009)