Annual political sessions of China well received abroad

The 2013 annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, have drawn positive comments from the international community.

The National Committee of the CPPCC started its annual session here Sunday. The NPC will start its annual session in Beijing on March 5.

Surachai Sirikrai, professor at the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat University in Thailand, said this year's annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC would be significant and would point the way of China's new policies in the years to come.

Yakov Berger, senior analyst at the Institute of Far-Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the newly elected leadership of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) had shown unwavering commitment to pushing forward the reforms.

The new measures used in the in-depth reformation would greatly impact the world. Through reforms, China would achieve its goals of building a moderately prosperous society and realize national rejuvenation, Berger said.

Nicholas Borst, China program manager with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the new leadership of China emphasized the importance of reform, which was a good signal.

Jose Luis Robaina, a renowned Cuban expert on China, said the Chinese leadership had accumulated experience in dealing with major economic and political issues over the years, adding he had full confidence in China's new leaders.

Improving people's livelihood was the drive and foothold for China to push forward reforms. The international community generally considered that China should be committed to bridging the income gap and safeguarding social fairness and justice.

Jean-Marie Le Guen, chairman of the France-China Friendship Group of France's National Assembly and deputy mayor of Paris, said China had realized catch-up growth in the past 30 years.

China should now focus on reducing the imbalance in development and looking for sustainable development, Le Guen said.

Thomas Heberer, chair professor of East Asian Politics at the University Duisburg-Essen, said China had already passed development plans, which included improving the living conditions of farmers, establishing the social security system, reducing the income gap through a fair tax system, and setting a minimum income standard. Heberer expressed his confidence in the Chinese government to promote these reforms nationwide, given its finances and human resources.

Thomas Meyer, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, and the vice-chairman of the party's committee on fundamental principles, said China had realized economic development which ignored ecological balance would not bring about real profits. He believed the Chinese government would succeed in promoting China's transformation to the green economy, stressing what China was doing was significant to the whole world.

Professor Kim Jin Ho from Dan Kook University of South Korea said, after China's opening up and economic reform, especially after China had presented to the world its global influence because of its economic achievement in recent years, the world had been paying more attention to China's economy. Kim said more innovative ideas should be put forward to establish a moderately prosperous society.

Jorge Castro, chief of Argentina's Strategic Planning Institute, said China's economic policy had started to transform from relying on savings and investment to relying on technological innovation, enhanced productivity and market capitalization to promote its economic vitality. The adjustment would lead to a new round of sustainable development for China, and would exert profound influence on the world.

Jae-jin Han, researcher of the economic research department of South Korea's Hyundai Research Institute, said, though the Chinese economy was confronted with many challenges, China's new leaders would lead the Chinese economy to advance steadily.