China targets better economic growth

BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- As Chinese lawmakers meet this week in Beijing to discuss the nation's policy blueprint for the next five years, expectations abound that they'll focus on improving the quality of growth, rather than its pace.

As our reporter Guan Xin finds out, concerned scholars and enterprises, are focusing on energy conservation and environmental protection.

The nation's economy has been bedazzled with explosive growth. But China faces escalating challenges in sustaining its economic development.

The country pledged to cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent from 2006 to 2010 in its 11th Five-Year Plan. But the pace hasn't been maintained. How to address challenges from energy source depletion, and environmental deterioration, are key concerns for next half-decade.

At the annual University Industry Cooperation Forum, Tsinghua University Vice President Kang Kejun is calling for closer cooperation between schools and industries, in order to put the research results in fields like clean and low carbon energy, into actual use.

The country has become a leader in the clean energy race. It's now the largest hydropower producer, and second biggest wind power producer. But the proportion of fossil fuels like coal remains high in the energy consumption structure.

Chen Yunhua, General Manager of Ertan Hydropower Development Company, said, "China aims to lift its consumption of non-fossil fuels to 15 percent of its energy consumption. That's a daunting task. We have significantly expanded our hydropower capacity. But there's still a long way to go. We need more government policy support in future development."

The mission to go green is also shared with multinational companies operating in China. They're responding to the rapid growth of the sector with faster projects and technology transfers.

CCTV reporter Guan Xin said, "To restructure the economy, and achieve better and greener economic growth, is a long term task for China. Experts say in future development, China should de-emphasize the headline GDP growth targets, and instead shift focus to the quality of growth. Speed is not the most important factor. Other indicators, such as energy efficiency and environmental protection, should play a bigger part in evaluating growth targets. "