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China reports progress in social undertakings
China recorded all-round development in science, technology, education and all other social undertakings as well as continued progress in ecological conservation and environmental protection, the top legislature was told Saturday. Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission gave this remark in his report to the legislature on the implementation of the 2003 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2004 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development. Basic and hi-tech research was intensified and continued progress was made in the state innovation system, said the minister, who singled out the successful launching of the Shenzhou-V spacecraft and its safe return to the earth last October as another milestone in China's hi-tech development. Fresh progress was made in compulsory education. Regular institutions of higher learning across the country enrolled 3.822 million students, 617,000 more than the previous year, the minister said. He said efforts to develop public health facilities were intensified, and about 6 billion yuan from the sale of treasury bonds was allocated to develop an anti-SARS infrastructure, disease prevention and control networks at the provincial, prefectural and county levels, and a public health emergency response system. "Ecological conservation and environmental protection were intensified, and economical and multipurpose utilization of natural resources was promoted. Some 2.05 million hectares of forests were developed to improve ecological conditions or serve as shelterbelts." Banning or temporarily suspending animal grazing allowed
for 8.6 million hectares of grassland to be effectively protected and rationally
utilized, he said. |
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