The following is the full text of the Report on the Implementation of the 2008 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2009 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which was submitted on March 5 for review at the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress:

Report on the Implementation of the 2008 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2009 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development

Second Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress March 5, 2009

National Development and Reform Commission

Fellow Deputies,

The National Development and Reform Commission has been entrusted by the State Council to report on the implementation of the 2008 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2009 draft plan for national economic and social development for your deliberation and approval at the Second Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress (NPC), and also for comments and suggestions from the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

I. Implementation of the 2008 Plan for National Economic and Social Development

The year 2008 was an extraordinary and eventful year for China. Our country's economic and social development experienced a variety of severe challenges and tests that were hardly anticipated and rarely seen. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the people of all our ethnic groups thoroughly applied the Scientific Outlook on Development, followed the plan for national economic and social development adopted at the First Session of the Eleventh NPC, surmounted numerous difficulties, and eliminated interference from emergencies of all kinds. Finally, we won great victories in dealing with the devastating snow and ice storms in parts of the south and the massive earthquake that hit Wenchuan, Sichuan Province. We successfully held the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games and accomplished the Shenzhou VII manned space flight mission. In particular, we actively responded to the severe impact of the global financial crisis, sustained steady and fairly rapid economic development and maintained social harmony and stability. The Plan for 2008 was, on the whole, implemented well.

1. The economy grew steadily and rapidly.

China's GDP topped 30 trillion yuan in 2008, a year-on-year increase of 9.0 percent and more than five percentage points higher than the average world economic growth rate. The value-added of large industrial enterprises increased by 12.9 percent over 2007, with that of light and heavy industries rising 12.3 percent and 13.2 percent respectively. Retail sales of consumer goods rose 21.6 percent to 10.85 trillion yuan, up 4.8 percentage points. Fixed asset investment across the country totaled 17.23 trillion yuan, up 25.5 percent. Domestic demand, particularly consumer demand, played a greater role in boosting economic growth.

Economic performance continued to improve. National revenue reached 6.13 trillion yuan in 2008, up 19.5 percent year on year. Energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to decline in 2008, down 4.59 percent. Sulfur dioxide emissions and chemical oxygen demand kept falling, down 5.95 percent and 4.42 percent respectively, and this trend became more firmly set. Water consumption per 10,000 yuan of value-added by industry dropped by 7.0 percent. Efforts were intensified to use land more economically and intensively, resulting in continued improvement in land-use efficiency.

2. There was a gradual decline in the rate of price increase.

We adopted comprehensive policies and measures to counteract the great pressure that ballooning domestic food prices and the surge in the prices of grain and oilseed on the international market in the first half of 2008 placed on our efforts to stabilize prices. On the one hand, we worked to ensure adequate supplies. We formulated and implemented supporting policies to boost grain, oilseed and egg production and hog and dairy farming. We strengthened the emergency allocation and transport of important farm and sideline products, improved coordination between their production and sale, and alleviated problems concerning the sale and distribution of grain in northeast China and farm products in some areas, especially disaster-stricken areas. We took measures that combined fiscal and tax policy support, export controls, import inducements and manipulation of state reserves to ensure adequate market supplies and steady prices for important commodities such as grain, refined petroleum products and fertilizer. On the other hand, we strengthened market oversight. We instituted temporary measures to hold down the prices of grain, edible vegetable oil and other important commodities. We organized and carried out inspections focused on prices for agricultural supplies, refined petroleum products, medical care and drugs, and charges related to farmers, enterprises and education; actively encouraged business managers to exercise self-discipline in setting prices; and severely cracked down on violations of the law such as hoarding for speculation and colluding to drive up prices. At the same time, we raised the level of the cost of living allowances twice to ensure that the basic living standard of low-income groups would not be significantly affected by price increases. Beginning in the fourth quarter, the inflationary pressure subsided considerably. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 5.9 percent for the year. The rate of price increase for means of production, including agricultural supplies, also fell rapidly, with producer prices for means of production in December down 1.9 percent year on year and the inflation rate for agricultural supplies down 12.4 percentage points from its July high.