When Chinese lawmakers attending the first session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), the lawmakers noted that with reforms entering a critical stage, especially the reform of State-owned enterprises, it is very important for the government to handle various social conflicts cautiously and to strive to eliminate hidden dangers in the national economy, particularly in the financial sector.

Observers say that a major characteristic of the current NPC session, convened at a time when profound changes are taking place in China's economic and social structure, is that both senior officials and lawmakers from grassroots units have shown greater concern about the interests of the general public.

They noted that issues like re-employment of laid-off workers and reduction of farmers' economic burdens have been frequently mentioned in the speeches of central government leaders during their panel discussions with local delegations of NPC deputies.>>details