Economy tops China agenda

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The economy topped Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's "Government Work Report" on Wednesday, as he cited the need to hold inflation at 4.8 percent and create 10 million jobs in urban areas.

The government said its target for economic growth should be 8 percent.

Wen also noted the devastating effect of the snowstorms prior to the Lunar New Year and said the government would learn from the disaster in order to prevent future emergencies.

Wen delivered the report at the opening meeting of the National People's Congress, which is also expected to discuss the Beijing Olympics, increased defense spending, Taiwan's referendum on independence, and the environment.

Presiding over the opening in Beijing's Great Hall of the People was the Communist Party's second-ranking official, Wu Bangguo.

China's official news agency Xinhua boasted that the 3,000 Congressional delegates come from many walks of life throughout the country and that this year's session would be more open than before.

China's top leaders are chosen by and answer to the National People's Congress, but they've always mirrored the choices of the Communist Party Congress, which met last year.

During the two-week session, delegates will consider the national economic and social development plan for 2008 and this year's national budget.

They are also expected to discuss a blueprint to revamp the government bureaucracy, which will involve merging overlapping ministries and possibly reducing the number of cabinet-level agencies from 28 to about 20. The avowed aim is to boost government efficiency, cut cost and turn the bureaucracy into a "service-oriented government."

The State Environmental Protection Agency is expected to be elevated into a full-fledged ministry to give it more teeth, personnel and a bigger budget. The revamp is expected to be implemented over the next few years.

President Hu Jintao, National People's Congress chief Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao are each expected to be re-elected to five-year terms. Sources said Xi Jinping is expected to be elected as state vice president and Li Keqiang as executive -- or Number two -- vice premier in charge of macro-economic affairs.

If so, this would jibe with the Communist Party Congress decision last year to line up Xi and Li as presumptive successors to top party and government posts.

Only one vice premier -- Hui Liangyu -- is expected to stay on.

Setting the stage for parliament was the convening on Monday of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body.

This orchestration of China's government runs in five-year cycles, starting with the first congress in 1956. This year marks the first annual session of the 11th congress.

Laws and government policies always pass with overwhelming majorities.

While secret balloting is used to elect top officials -- from state president to the ministers and top judges -- only one nominee runs for each post. Still, dissenting voices have been increasingly heard in and outside the session halls and through the media in recent years. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report

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