China's leading pollster recently revealed that two-thirds of the Chinese people are full of confidence about their livelihood in the next five years.

According to the latest survey of urbanites in 11 major cities conducted by the Horizon Social Survey Company, the majority of Chinese are upbeat about the future, although they have some jitters over unemployment and economic sluggishness.

Horizon's report is being published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) this month in its annual survey of social trends in the country.

As for the current economic situation, 58 percent of those polled commented positively; while 64 percent also took positive attitudes toward economic enhancement in 2000.

Most of the people said they cared very much about environmental quality. And although many hope for private cars, high-tech electronics, and their own apartments, they view fresh air and clean water as an ideal.

Another survey of 2,599 people over the age of 16 showed that 55 percent said they expect to benefit from pension reform, while 40 percent said they will suffer financial losses from the restructuring of the medical system.

Many expressed concern over the growing gap between rich and poor in China.

"A comparatively fair mechanism for the distribution system must be established as soon as possible," said Xu Xinxin, a CASS sociologist, during an interview.

Xu led his group's survey of 50 experts in various fields and 115 senior officials who were trained at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Most of the experts said that an adjustment of interests among various groups is urgently needed.

Some 74 percent of the surveyed experts said they believe in a better social and economic future, while 92 percent of the senior officials held that view.

The CASS research also indicated that many Chinese esteem powerful economic growth, scientific breakthroughs, democratic and legal advancement, and cultural progress, but are less than completely sanguine about the country's environmental protection prospects during the first decade of the 21st century.