CPC Central Committee Stresses Infrastructure ConstructionThe Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) demands that, in the coming five to 10 years, the construction of water conservation, transportation, energy and other infrastructure projects be further reinforced.The Central Committee of the CPC details its requirement on infrastructure construction in its Proposal for Formulating the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) for National Economic and Social Development, which was passed at the just-concluded 5th Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the CPC. The Proposal puts forward that reinforcement of infrastructure construction is a very important task during the coming five to 10 years. Efforts should be made to rationalize structure, readjust layout, improve project quality, expand investment channels, and raise investment efficiency to bring infrastructure construction to a new level. It says that water conservation construction needs overall planning and comprehensive management. Efforts should be focused on minimizing flood disasters and solving the problems of water shortage and water pollution. An overall plan for national water conservation construction and plans for harnessing major rivers should be formulated in a scientific way and be implemented energetically, it says. Sustainable utilization of water resources is a strategic issue in China's economic and social development, for which the key is to improve water using efficiency and put water saving in a prominent position. The Proposal points out that transportation construction needs unified and rational planning, the construction of highways, railways, ports, airports and piping systems should be reinforced to form an unimpeded, safe and convenient modern transportation system. The focus of transportation construction will be on improving highway and railway networks; reinforcing urban road and trunk rail transportation construction; developing water transportation; opening feeder air routes; and reinforcing the building of oil and gas pipelines. According to the Proposal, full use should be made of the advantage of resources in energy construction, and the energy structure should be rationalized to improve efficiency and to protect the environment. Major measures include the development of clean, high-quality coal; accelerating the prospecting, development and use of oil and gas; actively using overseas oil and gas resources through cooperative development and other channels; promoting the construction of a nationally unified power transmission network; developing new sources of energy and renewable energies; and spreading energy-saving technologies. |
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