9. We will effectively carry out post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction work and lay a solid foundation for disaster victims to live and work in peace and contentment.

1) We will comprehensively carry out post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction to ensure people's well being. In accordance with the principle of putting people's well being first, making overall plans and guaranteeing priorities, we will accelerate the restoration and reconstruction of housing, education and health to improve people's lives in urban and rural areas. We will give priority to rebuilding housing in quake-hit areas, basically complete the construction of rural houses by the end of this year and comprehensively carry out the work of rebuilding housing in urban areas. We will make proper arrangements to rebuild schools, hospitals and other public service facilities and ensure that more than 95 percent of students in quake-hit areas will move into permanent school buildings by the end of this year. We will strictly abide by mandatory construction standards and specifications, to ensure that we make safe, solid and reassuring buildings while avoiding the extravagance and waste involved in exceeding standards.

2) We will accelerate restoration and reconstruction of infrastructure, including transportation, communications, energy, water conservancy and distribution. We will do everything possible to ensure that roads in quake areas are unimpeded, giving priority to rebuilding trunk highways and roads connecting county seats while also improving rural roads. Restoration and reconstruction of power grids and electricity supply facilities will be sped up. We will intensify efforts to prevent and control geological disasters and restore the ecosystem, and do a good job reinforcing affected levees and reservoirs and draining quake lakes.

3) We will combine industry reconstruction with efforts to create jobs for disaster victims. We will absorb as many workers in quake areas as possible into the reconstruction work. Support will be focused on helping enterprises with large workforces to rebuild themselves and resume production.

4) We will strengthen organization and coordination to smoothly implement the plan for post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction. We will continue to do a good job providing one-to-one assistance, optimize the plan for giving this assistance, and promptly study and solve major problems arising during the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

We will continue to increase exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in economic and trade affairs, science and technology, education, culture, health and sports, accelerate the pilot program for the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to use RMB as the settlement currency for trade in goods, and adopt effective measures to help the two regions withstand the impact of the global financial crisis and promote economic development. We will firmly seize the historical opportunity for improving cross-Straits relations, set up a mechanism with cross-Straits characteristics to promote economic cooperation, expand the direct mail, transport and trade links between the two sides, and support economic and social development on the west coast of the Straits in Fujian Province and in other areas where Taiwan investment is concentrated.

Fellow Deputies,

Successfully completing all the work for economic and social development in 2009 will be an arduous but important task. We will unite even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, conscientiously accept the guidance and oversight of the NPC, and listen to comments and suggestions from the members of the CPPCC National Committee with an open mind. Let us forge ahead in a pioneering spirit, work in a down-to-earth manner, and strive to achieve the targets for economic and social development and promote sound and rapid development!

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2009)