The 1.18 trillion yuan from the central government is totally new investment in China's stimulus package, said Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday.

He told reporter after the National People's Congress (NPC) annual session that the central government fund will be spent on promoting the social welfare, environment protection, key infrastructure facilities and technology upgrading.

Wen said that the central government budget for 2009 has allocated 595 billion yuan to finance the stimulus package.

"Some of the projects under the package, such as road, railway and other infrastructure project, came from the 11th five-year plan (2006-2020), but they will now be speeded up thanks to the stimulus package," said Wen.

China rolled out a 4-trillion-yuan (US$585.5 billion) two-year stimulus package last year, for which the central government has pledged 1.18 trillion yuan.

The package included huge government investment, tax reform, industrial restructuring, scientific innovation, social welfare and promoting employment.

"All these projects have undergone feasibility study and details of all will be made public," said Wen.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2009)