Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday called for the reform of evaluation criteria of government officials' performance, so as to change their GDP-obsessed mentality and boost the country's economic restructuring.

"The biggest difficulties in restructuring the economy involve innovation mechanism and officials evaluation criteria," Wen told a press conference after the conclusion the annual parliamentary session.

Many officials in the country pay far more attention on GDP growth than on sustainable economic growth, in order to get promotion.

"The most important criteria judging an official's performance is to see whether a region has achieved economic and social coordinated development, apart from quantitative economic growth," said the premier.

The criteria also involves whether fairness and justice as well as the improvement of people's livelihood are guaranteed in the region, he said.

On the so-called innovation mechanism, Wen said that education and science and technology are key to a country's development.

China's rise should not rely only on its economic size, but on the mechanism of cultivating talents and the progress of science and technology, said Wen.

"I believe two figures are more important than GDP," Wen said, referring to the GDP proportion of expenditure on education and the share of investment in research and development in the whole production process.

"Both determine the innovation capability of our country," Wen said, adding they are the strongest, ever lasting and most reliable source of sustainable development.

Wen called for a complete change of GDP-obsessed mentality to boost economic growth while improving people's livelihood, noting economic growth should not be realized at the cost of environment and resources.

"That kind of development is not sustainable and will bring impact to our children and grandchildren," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2011)