profound economic and social change in China.

■Living standardsimproved.

Personal per capita disposable income increased by 7.4% in real terms, overtaking the growth rate of the economy.By the end of last year, personal savings deposits had risen by 8.5%, an increase of more than four trillion yuan. In rural areas, another 64.34 million people gained access to safe drinking water and greater alleviation efforts reduced the number of people living in poverty by 14.42 million.

A number of world-class innovations were made in science and technology.Major headway was made in the development of 3G nuclear power technology, China’s self-developed C919 large jetliner rolled off the assembly line, and Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize forPhysiology or Medicine.

These achievements in China’s development, a source of pride andmotivationfor our people, did not come easily.

They were made in the context of an extremely complicated and challenging international environment. In 2015, world economic growth fell to its lowest rate in six years, growth in international trade slowed, commodity prices plummeted, and there was growing volatility in the global financial market. All this had a direct impact on China’s economy.

They were made at the same time as deep-seated domestic problems were becoming prominent and downward pressure on the economy was mounting. While dealing with the slowdown in economic growth, making difficult structural adjustments, and absorbing the effects of previous economic stimulus policies, China was also confronted with many difficult problems and choices in the running of the economy, and this called for effective responses based on the need both to combine long-term and short-term considerations and to seek benefit and avoid harm.

Finally, they were made at a time when China’s economic output had exceeded 60 trillion yuan.Every percentage point of GDP growth today is equivalent to 1.5 percentage points of growth five years ago or 2.5 percentage points of growth ten years ago. The larger the economy grows, the greater the difficulty of achieving growth.