A new Five-year Guidelines (2006-10) for social and economic development, which was adopted at the annual session of National People’s Congress on March 14, marks a policy shift of the Central Government from pursuing economic expansion to all-round social and economic benefits for citizens.

Adopting the strategic concepts of the “Scientific Approach to Development” and “Constructing a Harmonious Socialist Society,” the guidelines also tackle the practical problems of the rural-urban gap, polarization of rich and poor, waste of resources, environmental deterioration, administrative corruption, underdeveloped service sector and overheated investment. Goals set in the guidelines pay more attention to the issues of humanity, society and the environment, as well as the economy. And for the first time, the development index has been set to “expected” and “restricted to.”